DAVE (seated), (L to R standing) audio engineer DANNY MONK, Berry Street manager KEVIN POREE, singer KJ
I grew up in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, have had a passion for music since I was at primary school, where I sang on stage when I was 9 years old, and wrote my first song in September 1966, just before starting my second year at secondary school.
I taught myself guitar on an instrument I bought for £4 from a fellow pupil in 1967. With the money I saved from working in my summer holidays, I bought a piano for around £65 a year or so later, and taught myself to play that as well. I composed songs on both instruments – my early piano compositions tended to be ballads, whereas my guitar compositions were invariably more uptempo.
I have deviated into many other activities over the years. I was radio presenter on hospital radio and BBC Radio Jersey for many years, during which time I was fortunate enough to meet fifties’ singers Johnny Ray and Ruby Murray, as well as getting the opportunity to do an hour long interview with my favourite 70s recording artist, Louisa Jane White. I ran a fanzine called ‘Songstress’ for five years, which triggered personal responses from some of my singing heroes including Helen Shapiro and Samantha Jones, whilst the magazine also attracted good reviews in national magazines like Record Collector and Record Mirror. I did amateur dramatics with local groups Samares Players and St Mark’s Players, and others. And I also performed as a pianist in local venues such as the Hotel Revere, Hotel Ambassadeur, and Shani’s indian restaurant.
But songwriting was always my main abiding passion, and when I gave up all my other activities in the 1990s, it was to focus all my energies into my writing skills.
