paul
As a child my song was “south of the border down mexico way” – which I used to belt out from my pram I’m told
Years later in primary school we had a great music teacher called Mr Corcoran, he played the piano and sang and he would train us up for the school choir. He picked myself and Peter Long out as the two best singers in our class and he would send us around to the other classrooms to sing as a duo. The other teachers would usually give us a few pence for our performance and after covering a few classrooms, we would have enough money to buy loads –a- sweets on our way home from school
I used to go to my Grandad’s house during our lunch break from school and next door to him lived Liza who was like a Grandmother to me, apart from baking great cakes and always having a full biscuit tin haha, she used to Sing & Play the Piano Accordion by the Fireside; so music was never very far away when I was growing up. I remember my Mother Singing at Home one time, making me feel so proud in front of my friend Brendan that my tears almost popped out
After secondary school and towards my late teens I had been going through a bit of a tough time personally when out of the blue I heard something on the radio – didn’t know who it was or which instrument it was but it spoke to me and a light came on – turned out it was Michael Brecker on Tenor Saxophone playing with Dire Straits. As a consequence of his spark which ignited a fuse! I would have to say that music came to the rescue and it’s probably kept me on the straight and narrow ever since
Playing the saxophone was a hobby up until 2005, when I gave up working as a professional chef to play full-time. Since 2005 I have performed at Jazz Festivals, recorded for Radio/TV, had a bit part in a Movie as a Sax Player and Performed at Numerous Gigs, Private Parties, Weddings and Events to date. Plus, lots of busking practice on the London underground along the way…
I play an Alto Saxophone – one which was left to me by my late music teacher & good friend Mike Tompson
A Special Thanks to ALL