I simply loved his music. The Blues Project Elektra alum was my number one influence. Wore out three copies. Spent all my teenage years playing air guitar to Southbound train.

I saw Spider John only twice. Once doing the all nighter at Cousins. And then just a few years back at Topsham Folk Club - by which time he had devolved into a sort of American Carthy doing principally American trad .

I know he went around a bit with Derek Brimstone in the '60s. Derek was muted in his approval. He recalled him doing his 20 minute version of Frankie and Albert , and the repeating in the second half. I asked Derek why and he said - "drink, drugs who knows?"
Nevertheless I loved his work. His guitar work was simply astonishing and inspirational. I'm sorry I never told him how much he meant to me.
I wondered at the time if his song Creepy Johns in telling the story that was inspired by the Boston Strangler killings. In the song he explored the season of terror syndrome caused by a prominent serial murderer - the sensual pleasure the press takes in telling us the story.