I first heard Jimmy Witherspoon back in the fifties when I came upon a jukebox single issued by the French Jazz record label ‘Disques Vogue’. The A-side was “Times Are Getting Tougher Than Tough” and the B-side was “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”. These two tracks had been taken from Spoon’s debut album “Live At the Monterey Jazz Festival” with Jay McShann and his Orchestra. This chance encounter with Spoon’s amazing and powerful voice in many ways changed my life. Although this era was my very beginning and formative period as a Blues performer, Jimmy became my main influence. Up till then my major gurus were Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters and Leadbelly. Gradually more and more of Spoon’s recorded output reached British stores and of course I bought every bit of vinyl with the name Jimmy Witherspoon on it. This was indeed my great musical hero! Spoon made the first of his many visits to Britain in the early sixties. Of course I was front row and center at all his gigs at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London’s Soho (This was the old premises on Gerrard Street predating the current Frith Street location). Jimmy and I became close friends at this time through the good graces of Downbeat Magazine. He and I were invited to do a “Name That Tune” segment for the magazine. I suggested  Spoon and the Downbeat gang come over to my house for tea and play the music for us (Spoon and I) to guess titles and artists. Amazingly, we guessed every item correctly and I think we scored 10 out of 10.