Sad news indeed, Vic.

Like you, I remember the Taverners, whom I first heard when I came down to Sussex over 40 years ago. Their Monday nights in the back room of the old Concorde Bar accross from the Palace Pier were memorable. They would sing in all languages for the tourists who flocked to hear them, and performed marvellously in the local clubs. In later years, when I got to know Stuart personally, we played gigs in local Brighton pubs, either as a duo, or as a trio with Chris Wolferstan - amplified, of course, and with a mix of folk, blues, rock'n roll and country music on the agenda. Stuart had a wonderful bass-baritone voice, and was always in demand for Johnny Cash numbers. I recall one evening at the Great Eastern when a "cool dude" came up to him and said, "Hey man, my girl wants to hear you sing more of that deep-voiced shit." For ever after that, to Chris and I, Stuart was always "Stuart Reed, DVS." :-)

For some years, until the early part of 2017, Stuart asked me to help run the Brighton Acoustic Session - him doing the booking and dealing with the artists - while I did the MC'ing. The standard he set for the floor singers and guests made it the best venue for acoustic music in Brighton - Tom Paley, Paul Downes, Tim Broadbent, Dave Arthur were just a few of the names that played to a packed back room at the Lord Nelson. And he was a regular attendee at the monthly sessions in Ditchling and Henfield.

All of us who knew him will miss him deeply - in clubs, pubs and sessions, and as a good friend. RIP