Born in Lancashire in 1953, I took a secondary education and started playing
guitar at 14. I played in a Folk group mainly ‘Spinners’ songs which were very
popular for that era.

At fifteen and a half I left school and Lancashire and joined the forces (army)
where I served until I was twenty three. Whilst on tour in Germany I became an
active member of the Regiments folk club. During this period my music developed,
mixing folk music with bluegrass, this was when I purchased the ‘Framus’ long arm
five string banjo, still used today after extensive refurbishment. This Banjo was
originally manufactured in the Framus factory which at that time was on the
‘other side’ of the Berlin wall.

I left the army after meeting my wife Sue in Maidstone where I was stationed in the
last two and a half years of service.

In 1998 as my family had matured I decided to take up my music roots again and
became a student at the local college taking evening classes which suited my shift
work patterns. It was on this course that I met with several long term friends which I
still meet and play with on occasions in the Albion pub (Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone) on Thursday nights for a jam session. I also attended the Maidstone
Folk club (now at the Central Sorting Office Club bar ) where I appeared as a solo
artiste and developed my style of music.

Whilst attending a BBQ at a mutual friends house in 2003 I first met Malcolm and an immediate bond in music was apparent. During the next few years I gigged with
Malcolm on several group projects, it was during this period I obtained one of my ambitions and purchased the Gibson ‘Songbird’ six string guitar.

In late 2004 Malcolm and I finally got together and Ocean West was born, but it was
not until January 2005 did we really get going.

In early 2006 Sarah Lucy DOLE joind the band as our lead singer, this has added an immense vocal strentgh to the band which has been further expanded by Tony MORLEY (Formerly Manfred Man Earth Band) who has guested with the group on our last few appearances.