I know how you feel. Thirty years ago, one of the most brilliant musicians I ever knew and played with - a guitarist called Mick Wayne - died in a fire in an apartment in Chicago. He was over in the US, rehearsing with a big band and a gospel choir, went home, lit a cigarette (or equivalent) and fell asleep. He died from the fire fumes.

When I heard, I was numbed. The next day, I had to catch a bus to go to work because my car was in the garage to be serviced. As the bus took off from the stop, the sadness of it all just overwhelmed me and tears streamed down my face. Mick was not only a brilliant musician but an inspiration to play with. He was a thousand times better than I could ever be but, whenever we played together - perhaps in a pub or at a party - he just upped the game without me knowing, so that I reached to a level beyond myself. Difficult to explain, perhaps. Mick's brother is still one of my best friends and, though he lives far from me, we still meet and play regularly and reminisce about Mick. I feel honoured to have played with someone who, in his day, played with people like David Bowie and Joe Cocker. Luckily, he knew just how much people admired and respected him and his artistry.

Playing and learning from Mick was one of the reasons I started up my website and instructional videos on YouTube. Just trying, in my small way, to pass on a smidgin of what I learned from people like him.