Tom Bliss: September 24th 2006
From Tom Bliss᾿s website:
Born in Guildford, Tom started writing songs at a very early age. His family still sing ’We Belong To A Butterfly-Catching Army,’ which he ’composed’ aged just 3! He himself still sings songs he wrote at school, where he played in bands with John Elliott, Andy Pask - of Landscape (’Einstein A Go-go’) and The Bill theme music fame - and sax virtuoso Dave Roach.
Leaving school, he began playing folk clubs in Surrey and London, then made his first solo radio broadcasts in New Zealand in 73. But in 77, while at Leeds Poly, he heard Ian Dury for the first time and immediately forsook his acoustic guitar for a plexiglas Les Paul and eye make-up. Many new wave and rock bands followed - one of which, Pinups, even secured a deal with Pete Waterman, but the other three members missed the recording session (all for different bizarre reasons), and the band fell apart!
Tom finally returned to his folk roots in the mid 90s after a chance meeting with Steve Fairholme of Otley Folk Fame. Since then, with Slide and Tom Napper (and now The Pipers Sons too) he has built a national reputation as a singer and player - of both his own songs and tunes, and of traditional material - typically reworked in his unique emotionally-charged style.
Tom Bliss᾿s website can be found at www.tombliss.co.uk