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Homeboy Industries in Chinatown Los Angeles
Yesterday I visited Homeboy Industries in Chinatown Los Angeles to meet Gregory Boyle, aka Father G, author of the book ‘Barking to the Choir: Radical Kinship’ who gave me a signed copy for the inmates at HMP Featherstone Prison where I work as Songwriter in Residence. Los Angeles is the gang capital of America with an estimated 120,000 gang members and home to 1,350 gangs. Many of the men I work with at Featherstone prison are serving long or life sentences for gang related…
Marianne Williamson and Deborah Rose Unite at Logan Hall, London
A year ago I was on my way from Ojai, California to Los Angeles airport, heading to San Francisco to visit a friend and a tattooed Uber driver told me of his journey to enlightenment. He told me about the work of an American author and spiritualist Marianne Williamson.
On Chesapeake Bay with the Cassidys
I’ve just returned from a life enhancing trip to Maryland, USA performing at a Renaissance Festival and meeting some very special people. My calling to Maryland began a year ago with a song I had created “The Lady of Shalott,” inspired by the pre-raphaelite John Waterhouse painting. I sent it to Washington DC National Gallery […]
‘Beautiful House’ Tour Spring 2013
First of the ‘beautiful houses’ we visited as part of our music and poetry mini April/May tour was the former home of the great John Ruskin, Brantwood in the Lake District. He was a poet, artist, critic and social revolutionary who challenged the moral foundations of 19th century Britain. A pioneering environmentalist, he was founder of the National […]
Saints, songs and a sheep rescue
I’ve spent much time recently on the Southbank, busking over Easter at the Real Food Festival, and several visits to St Thomas Hospital, on the river Thames, with a friend of mine who suffers from a rare respiratory disease called “RP”… short for “Relapsing Polychondritis”. Our visits haven’t been without adventure, or inspiration. The time […]
Angels, peacocks and gypsy jazz…
In the midst of BBC interviews this week I managed to experience some wonderful folk and jazz music by some of the best musicians around. Tuesday evening was folk at the Tarc gallery in Stanford Bridge where I host live music once a month. For Burns night we were fortunate to have the delights of […]
