Music has always had an extraordinary influence on my life.
This week I’ve been feeling quite nostalgic being back in London, remembering the artists I discovered in my teenage years and when I first lived here in my 20s, trying like everyone else at that age to figure out my own way in the world.
The number 13 may be unlucky for some, but for me it’s actually the number of artists who made such a lasting impression on my life that I felt compelled to list them below for you and write this blog.
A fairly diverse group I think you’ll agree, but I find each of them so unique in sound and style, evoking so many different emotions each time I listen, that they are truly masters of their craft. They inspired me to follow my passion, to develop my own distinctive style, and to create music that let me break into the fiercely competitive world that is the music industry.
I was even lucky enough to work with several of them in recording studios in London in the 1990s. I did not know it at the time: but those experiences gave me such a rich foundation of musical knowledge and studio production techniques that I have drawn upon ever since for my own compositions.
From Quincy Jones’ ‘Comin home Baby’ to Roy Ayres’ ‘Sunshine’ to Enya’s ‘Caribbean Blue’ to Trevor Horn’s production on Yes.
I thank each of these fearless masters for their musical inspiration and devotion to passion.