An all-time great, with a true appreciation of the blues. I was lucky enough to go to one of his Christmas party gigs at Ronnie Scott's, which for a long time were fixtures on the Soho live scene. And if you haven't caught up with his books yet, they're hilarious, and tick a lot of boxes with those of us who have lived out of the back of a 15cwt van in more basic touring days. 'Owning Up' is the one to start with.

It's a greyer world now.