JOHN

 When John was 17 years old, he sold his bromfiets (small motorcycle) and used the money to buy a guitar. Not too long after that, he and a group of young, starry-eyed friends started a band called Madje.

 John played guitar for about a year then "traded places" with the bass player. It turned out to be a good switch, and John has been playing bass ever since.

As a teenager, John listened to a few of his older brother's blues records. But it wasn't until Madje changed musical direction, becoming The Big Bram's Beautiful Blues Band (The BBBBBand), that John began to develop a sincere appreciation (even addiction) for the Blues.

 He listened to Eric Clapton (Donald 'Duck' Dunn on bass), Muddy Waters, Son Seal's Blues Band, The Official Blues Band, and others. The BBBBBand played other kinds of music as well (Ska and songs from Lee Towers), but it was the Blues that John liked to play the most.

 Some of the members of The BBBBBand have changed over the years, but the original members still get together to play and have been doing so for over 20 years now.

From time to time, John enjoys playing other styles of music as well. Occasionally, he could be seen on stage with the band Heart of Stone, a Rolling Stones cover band. He continues to be influenced and inspired by good music, no matter what the genre may be. His main musical interest, however, is still the Blues. In his own words, "Blue-notes can give a tension in music that I find intensely enjoyable."

john@bluemonday.info to E-mail John.