About Me:

Hi, my name is Dennis and being born in England in the City of Derby, I chose that as my performance name. Having bought my first guitar aged eleven, and with my eye on Lonnie Donegan and the Skiffle boom, started to learn quickly. Then along came rock and roll from the US of A, and I was hooked for life. I worked for decades with dance bands, small ensemble rock bands, as a solo artist, as part of duos, close harmony groups, etc - forever the man at the front taking the bouquets and brickbats.
The many happy unbelievable memories of crazy times remain. Always being on the road, travelling the motorways with the windows down just to stay awake, late after the gigs, sometimes on the coast.
After open-heart surgery I decided to audition for a Street Entertainer’s Licence and I’ve been busking on the streets ever since, attracted by the freedom it gave me. I’ve always given some of my monies raised to children’s charities.
These days, I am almost fully recovered from open heart surgery for a second time so consider myself a lucky man. I rarely perform my songs on stage although I did a live show for refugee week this summer and in September David Francis from Brooklyn, New York invited me to appear with him, which was a pleasure. Personally, I love the freedom of sharing my music live on the streets for the fun of it late in the evening. This new song was inspired by what I saw down there in the darkness of my home city, which is Derby. Of course, I do my music elsewhere and say hello if you see me anywhere playing my black, Fender copy street guitar, which carries the sign: SMILE, BE HAPPY on it.
In the shadows of the city centre night, Busking with my back to the wall, I see life on the streets as it is, sometimes dark and sometimes dirty. Party goers out for a good time, students merry and loud, police in twos or fours keeping order or just keeping counsel, and those who life has left behind asking people with more than they have for help. Help for a bed for the night, help for something to keep them warm, help to face tomorrow - simply help, usually in the form of coins so cheap we call it small change.
Please support our homeless centres to help our people get off the streets.