Born and bred in Manchester, my love of music started at a very early age when I used to listen to my parents’ Beatles, Rolling Stones and other sixties records.

My first experience of performing was playing the clarinet with the local youth jazz orchestra, whilst still at school. I was inspired to play the keyboards by a schoolmate whose father owned a Hammond organ. I was impressed by the range of sounds and the harmonies the Hammond could create. From then on I was hooked, going on to take piano lessons and learn music theory.

Finding the discipline of playing classical piano too restrictive, I bought my first keyboard when I was 19. I developed my playing technique by playing along to pop songs, finding this a great way of learning new chord sequences and becoming fluent at playing solos.

In 1997 I was introduced to the live band circuit by my uncle, who was playing in a blues band called Tumbling Dice. Through listening to blues records by bands such as The Allman Brothers and Eric Clapton, I learnt blues improvisation, and found that this broadened my soloing capabilities. Gaining confidence and knowledge by having the opportunity to sit in on rehearsals, I soon went on to join my first band, Smiler, playing rock covers by artists as diverse as Squeeze, Thin Lizzy and the Manic Street Preachers.