|
Career Notes I was a member of The Westminster Abbey Special Choir. I have given guitar lessons and sung in many pubs and clubs and restaurants. I have performed for many elderly and mentally ill patients in hospitals. I have appeared on numerous television and radio programmes. I have worked in twenty one countries. Between 1978 and 1997, tours were made to perform in the following countries Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Malaysia, Indonesia, Scotland, England, Kenya, Cyprus. I have performed for Lords and Ladies, Princes and Princesses, a Princess asked for my autograph once, and thousands of others of all ages, many races, many creeds and many colours. I have performed in the Post Office Tower in London, In Exeter Cathedral and on a Prison Island in the South China Sea, for Vietnamese Boat People. I've travelled all over the world and everywhere I've been, I seen people of every size, shape and colour of skin, I've done shows for royalty and others famous in their countries too but the only thing I've ever seen is that they're all the same as you.................. 1957 Starred as ‘Noddy’ at the opening of a village fete, my first public performance—I cried most of the way through. 1961 First Public Singing Performance in the School Nativity Play— this is where it all started. Around 1970 Discovered the songs of Tom Paxton, after John Spencer and John Phipps sang his songs at the youth club. John Spencer started teaching me the guitar so I could sing them. 1971 Started Writing Songs. 1972 Started Singing in Folk Clubs 1973 First paid singing engagement. 1974 Resident singer at the ‘Cabbage-Patch’ Folk Club. 1975 ‘Opportunity Knocks’ Television Talent Show. Roadie for Marianne Segal concert tour with Labi Siffre. Summer Berwick-Upon-Tweed in Northumberland. Recorded songs at Pye Studios, Marble Arch, London, with Len Tucker, Kenny Woodman (Puppet on a String Arranger) and the ‘Lady Birds’. 1976 Summer Dorset. 1977 Summer Norfolk. 1978 First Television appearances acting. First tour out of Britain. 1979 BBC television ‘School Play’ with Denholm Elliot and Jenny Agatter. ‘Breakaway’ with Judy Geeson, Martin Jarvis and Ed Bishop. First radio broadcast BFBS UK show with Tommy Vance. 1980 Album 'Old Grey Coat', Shows in the Post Office Tower. 1981 First summer season in The White Rock Theatre I performed a five week season here every summer until about 1993. Radio for the BBC Radio One with Maggie Philbin. Television Hong Kong. 1982 - 1983 Theatre Shows. 1984 BBC Television Shakespeare ‘King John’. LBC radio Adrian Love. 1985 BBC Television ‘Eastenders’. Tour to Isle of Wight. Arts Festival at Woodbridge. Radio programmes for the BBC with David Arscott and Julian Clegg. 1986 Tour to Berlin. 1987 Tour to Penang. Talented and Gifted Summer School. Television ‘Wish me Luck’ for London Weekend Television, filmed in France with Warren Clark and Kate Buffrey. 1988 New Cassette. 1989 Album 'Songs of Hello and Good Bye'. 1990 Double Album of Children's songs 'Elephant Parrot and Kangaroo' 1991 Album 'The Christmas Present'. 1992 Album 'Victory is Ours' 1989 - 1994 Radio Four ‘Break-a-way’, Grampian Television ‘North Tonight’ and many newspapers including an article in the Independent Newspaper. Radio success in America and Canada. A song was also selected to be the sound track of the promotional video produced by a School. 20th Anniversary music double cassette. 1994 Album ‘Anke’s Song’. Somewhere in about 1995 things changed, I got very much more interested in people and began reading many psychology books, it opened my mind to many new possibilities and made me realise that thoughts I had had before the reading were supported by a huge body of literature. It set me off balance and clouded my vision, without the dream you can go no where and so, like the homing torpedo, with no target, there was nothing but 'self destruction', not me, but the persona who was me as performer. I was like the man on the ice sliding here there and all over the place. 1996 Switzerland Leadership Training for Young People. This was a successful event but a strange mixture of two genre 1997 New Cassette and Book. Was a last, and desperate attempt, to pull my self back, but of course there is no back only forward, it got good reviews and a few radio plays but at this point it was obvious an enormous change was called for. At one stage I applied for a job as a sales man, two men came to see me they asked for my CV, I gave them a complete version and as they read it their mouths dropped open, then one looked at me and said "What on earth would you want to work for us for ?" I really had no answer for the truth was I didn't want to do anything of the sort. 1998 Magazine and Book Publishing. This was fun and very different and successful. 2001 - 2004 Renovating and old farm house. I moved my family to a new location and a fabulous opportunity dropped from the sky, the healing had begun. Many people were involved, they taught me to marry things I had learned into what I used to do, so like a sick man moving into convalescence the repair began. Then the real miracle happened Tom Paxton arrived back in my life and suddenly the puzzle snapped into shape. So......... 2005 I introduced Tom Paxton at one of his Farewell Shows in England, and released a CD 'My Passport Says Planet Earth'. 2005 New CD for Children 'Banana's'. A review of my performance at the Tom Paxton Concert appeared on the 'Folk & Roots' Web Site. Late in 2005 I introduced Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen in Concert. Cindy has sung on several of Tom Paxton's records and Steve has written songs which have been sung by many famous performers. Steve and Cindy have provided harmonies and guitar parts for one track of an Album 'I'm the Boy Who Played Tom Paxton's Guitar' due for release in 2007. Steve is also singing in the chorus of the title track. On 25th December 2005 Len Tucker contacted me and having heard 'My Passport Says Planet Earth' advised me to get back in to the main stream of the music business. So we produced an album of songs by David McWilliams, Len managed David and I, David had a big hit with 'The Days of Pearly Spencer. It took the whole of 2006 to produce 'The Extraordinary Songs of David McWilliams' and 'I'm the Boy Who Played Tom Paxton's Guitar' a total of 39 tracks. I then discovered that the music business had changed extraordinarily whilst I had been away................ 2007 Back full time in the music business and it is wonderful Albums an old one from 1989 'Songs of Hello and Good Bye', 'The Extraordinary Songs of David McWilliams' and 'I'm the Boy Who Played Tom Paxton's Guitar'. The Great Feel Good Company Limited are now management and record company. 3 radio shows in Edinburgh Scotland. Down Load Single 'Too Young Too Young' from David McWilliams for Princess Diana. Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 2008 Getting a good few gigs two great concerts one in Switzerland and one with other artists at the Chequer Mead Theatre in East Grinstead. Writing songs for a new album. working on the release of a DVD and a Live CD. Thanks to all those who have been so kind to me and helped me all these years. To anyone whom I have failed, or hurt, I am sorry, I can only hope it was not to bad and that you learned by it. To all those who did not like my performances, or me, for whatever reason, I am sorry I failed to please, but thank you too for your criticism, for you made me harder than nails and tougher than old boots and without you I would never have learned survival. Thanks for all those who paid me in money and in kindness, in barter or with love, I hope you got good value. I have learned much in these years and I have changed a lot for the better, every day I try harder to become a better person. So for those of you who are new to me I hope you enjoy this part of the journey.
1957 1972 1975 1979
1980 1983 1988 2004
2007
|
