Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST,Howard Fullbrook
Date: 13 May 08 - 10:09 AM

Hi Terry.

I remember the folk club at The Molly Miller very well indeed, Bill played there often in the mid to late 60's. The other club we used to frequent was the White Horse in Reading. GREAT DAYS!

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST,Terry Babbage
Date: 13 May 08 - 09:01 AM

Those words are from my song "The Molly Miller", about a folk club in Wokingham in the 1960s. Where did you hear it? Must be the same Bill Boazman, first bloke I ever saw wearing flared trousers. Lovely, quiet spoken fella as I remember, lived in a flat on Greyfriars Road, Reading. Became Sonny Black in later life, I hear.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST,Howard Fullbrook
Date: 08 May 08 - 06:20 AM

Hi Chris, good to see you on here.

Thanks to Tim Pinton and Paul Swinton, I now have a recording (low quality) of Bill singing 'Victor Jara', a song he wrote back in the 70's. Let me know if you would like a copy.

I have some great memories of gigging with Bill in the late 60's and early 70's. I played guitar, mandolin, fiddle and Stylophone (!). Together with Tim Pinton, we once did support act for the Sutherland Brothers and Quiver at Rickmansworth.

I have the greatest love and respect for Bill and his music, his like are a very rare thing indeed.

Howard.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 05 May 08 - 12:33 PM

Chris, could you send me an e-mail at:[e-mail] please. I would really like to hear from you. I used to hear Bill sing all those songs. Howard Fullbrook and Bill himself have very kindly sent me recordings from those days, but I am always happy to hear more. There was another lovely song called "Breaking Even" in those days, which I have never heard since. Thanks to Howard and Bill I have excellent studio recordings of "Bless These Children", " The Worm Forgives The Plough", "The River Waits for No Man" and "The Ballad of Charlie Daniels". No doubt there are plenty of other gems on people's cassettes and tapes at home!
If you are/become a Mudcat member, we can get in contact through a PM here.
Regards,
Alan.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 May 08 - 05:52 AM

I made up a CD with the following
1) The Worm Forgives the Plough
2) Bless these Children
3) Diddy Wah Diddy

I should also have, somewhere(!), a cassette tape with 5 or 6 songs, though it is itself an edited version of the original recording made on a reel-to-reel machine! Bill was miked-up separately for voice and guitar so the balance and quality were reasonable considering the home technology available at the time. I'll see if I can find the cassette and digitize the rest of the recording.

Let me know an email contact and I can organise to get a CD to you. Alternatively, if you have a Hotmail/MSN account I can put the tracks onto a Skydrive folder to which I can give you access.

Chris

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 05 May 08 - 12:48 AM

I would be really interested in hearing that please. Is there any way you could get a copy to me - either directly or through Bill or Howard Fullbrook perhaps?

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 08 - 06:51 PM

Hello

If this thread is still alive, I made a recording of Bill Boazman singing at the Pig in the Field folk club at Eversley (Berkshire) in the late 70s. It includes 'The Worm Forgives the Plough'. The song was transcribed in The Southern Rag magazine which Ian Anderson later transmogrified into Folk Roots.

Chris Clarke

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST,Howard Fullbrook
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 09:54 AM

Hi,

Should anyone wish to contact me re 'Bill Boazman - The Early Years' my email address is [e-mail]

Howard

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST,howardfullbrook
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 12:14 PM

I've just 'stumbled' across this forum and I'm amazed at the information on Bill. I played with Bill for around 10 years or so from 1967 and have some wonderful memories. He is, without doubt, one of the best singer/songwriters ever and a superb musician. I have many recordings from those great days and I treasure them dearly.

Howard

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 11:25 AM

Thanks Roger. I have a rough version of Blind Blake's '"Police Dog Blues", which was recorded by Bill at a folk club in Farnham over thirty years ago. No doubt the new version is better recorded. I wish Bill would sing more. He is a smashing guitarist, but there is nothing at all wrong with his singing either.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 09:16 AM

Alan, I was wrong about both Blind Blakes, it was Gary Davis' Delia that confused me (and I'm easily confused!). Tracks are: Gary's flow rag;Delia (with vocal);Blues City;Bill's guitar boogie*;Maria Elena;Stepping Stones*;Gee Whiz;Paris after dark*;Kelly's Blues*;Johnson City Rag;Boogie Woogie Dance;Remembering Gabby;Police Dog Blues (with vocal);Pickin' Mississippi*;Best of Days*.

*=Bill originals

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 16 Jan 08 - 03:18 PM

Roger, you must tell us the track listing. Does it have his versions of "Police Dog Blues" and "Diddy Wah Diddy" on it?

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 16 Jan 08 - 09:29 AM

...and his latest acoustic CD with some vocals is Best of Days Free Spirit FSC0005 available for £10 inc P&P from Free Spirit Records PO Box 1200, Yately, GU47 7DJ. Includes some of Bill's originals, tunes Gary Davis etc.,by both Blind Blakes, some rags and boogie, some just guitar (acoustic, steel & dobro) and bass, some with added mandolin & fiddle and minimal drums from former band member Damon Sawyer who recorded it at Park Studios Bracknell.

Rts

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 01:51 PM

Thanks for the news of the new websites. He's a really nice guy as everyone has said. Veteran Mudcatters are fed up with me boasting that when I hired "Sonny Black & the Dukes" for my 60th birthday bash (only 4 years ago, Roger, you look older!) he insisted (honest!) that I sing with the band. Strangely, he hasn't asked me to join him on voice, kazoo or washboard on any of his subsequent ventures!

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:09 PM

just to rectify these last two links from Ben Strings ...

www.sonnyblack.co.uk

and

www.MySpace.com/SonnyBlackUK

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST,Ben_Strings
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 05:10 PM

To bring you up to date...
Sonny has a NEW website, well two to be precise:-)
www.sonnyblack.co.uk   and
www.MySpace.com/SonnyBlackUK

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 04:23 AM

The new solo CD of instrumentals is smashing, showing even more versatility and range than previous recordings. There is no doubt that he has progressed as a composer and guitarist. I just wish he would continue to write and sing those wonderful songs of his. When you can recall lines from songs, which you only ever heard live some thirty years ago, you know that you got to hear someone special.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 03:34 AM

When I last exchanged e-mails with Bill he had gone back to solo work on the acoustic guitars. See his new CD Corner Seat.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Dec 07 - 09:22 PM

Folknacious- Southern Rag metamorphosed into Folk Roots (Now FRoots) with more or less the same editorial staff , but Froots does NOT compare as they dropped Borfolk .

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Folknacious
Date: 15 Dec 07 - 09:16 PM

I thought I remembered this but had to wait until I could dig it out. There was an article about Bill Boazman in the very first edition of a little mag called The Southern Rag (I wonder whatever became of that ;-) ) from 1979. It says he used to play with a group called The Heron from Reading, then with Mike Cooper, then with Shusha, then solo. It prints his song The Worm Forgives The Plough which had been recorded by Johnny Coppin on an LP called Roll On Dreamer. Somewhere I've got a tape a friend gave me of him singing that song at Fleet Folk Club in Hampshire where he was very popular I believe.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 15 Dec 07 - 02:17 PM

Thanks very much Chris, but since my original post, I have been in contact with Bill by e-mail, phone and post. He sent me a CD of four of his very finest songs and also a couple of CDs of the excellent music, which he has been playing since then. So he is not just a great musicían, but a really kind and humble bloke. Through another old friend of his, the musician Howard Fullbrook, I also got to hear some MP3s of old chestnuts of his like "Victor Jara" and his version of Blind Blake's "Police Dog Blues". I hope that one day I will write something as beautiful and moving as either "Bless These Children" or "The Ballad of Charlie Daniels". I never will though. The gods bestow those gifts on very few!

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 07 - 01:39 PM

I know Bill Boazman. He's a friend of mine and he's still playing great stuff on a cherry red Strat. He lives in Hampshire now. You can email me at [e-mail] and I'll give you some contact details. Chris

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 23 Oct 03 - 03:41 AM

....and Sonny Black and the Dukes will be at Jagz, Ascot for a public performance on Tuesday 13th January 2004.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 22 Oct 03 - 08:32 AM

Trivia top-up: Sally Boazman is one of the guest artists on Les Barker's new CD mentioned in a separate thread (HERE)(and if you want to see her in her bath and in her "lovely home" see an interview from Ciao magazine on the BBC website:( HERE)

RtS
(only a week till Bill (Sonny) plays at my birthday bash!)

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 23 May 03 - 08:35 AM

Thanks very much Roger. It was as I expected about J.J.Cale. I couldn't think of any reason why that could have been true. I think there is likely to be more substance in the stories about him playing with Gerald Moore (a smashing guitarist and singer) and Heron. He has certainly been around for a while now.
He won't remember me - then a scrawny youth hanging around asking dumb questions, but I may well be cheeky and e-mail him to ask if he has any recordings of his beautiful songs from the old days. Wish I could be there for your sixtieth Roger. I think if Bill is playing, I would gatecrash it for sure! Have fun.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 23 May 03 - 03:51 AM

OK, Alan,Terry & others.
Bill(Sonny) was on at Jagz last night and although we were chatting mostly about what he'll be playing for my 60th birthday bash later in the year (he was trying to convince me Herself wouldn't mind if i joined him on washboard- I'm not convinced!), I passed on the questions:
Yes, Sally Boazman, (Sally Traffice IS his sister)
NO, he didn't play on any J.J. Cale albums, he's often asked this and doesn't mind the story getting round but it is based on a misprint in the All-Music guide, I think for an American guitarist with a similar surname.
Contact phone number is as posted earlier, current drummer is Damon Sawyer. Bill's website is not maintained any more but he's given me his e-mail. I'll PM is to you, Alan.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 19 Feb 03 - 03:28 AM

Sonny (Bill) and the boys are playing at JAGZ on 22nd May, I'll try to clear the JJ Cale query up then.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 31 Jan 03 - 03:23 AM

This is an extract from the All Music Guide entry for personnel on J J Cale's album "Grasshopper":
J.J. Cale - Organ, Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Producer, Engineer, Slide Guitar, Gut String Guitar, Mixing
David Briggs - Keyboards, Piano (Electric)
Steve Gibson - Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
Gary Allen - Drums
Audie Ashworth - Producer, Engineer
Bill Boatman - Drums, Tambourine
Bill Boazman - Guitar
Harold Bradley - Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
Kenneth A. Buttrey - Drums
Chip Young - Engineer
Johnny Christopher - Guitar,

I understand Bill won't be appearing at JAGZ again until May but I may be in touch with him sooner as he's playing at a party for me later in the year. I'll keep you posted.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 30 Jan 03 - 09:55 AM

There might be confusion ( re:JJ Cale) with Bill BOATMAN.
SEE: http://www.rockmine.music.co.uk/B_Cyclo/B_CycloK.html#BK014

Though some discographies on Google have both names on the same JJ Cale album.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 30 Jan 03 - 09:31 AM

Could be. I'll try to find out if the JJ Cale story is true. He's not on the current JAGZ programme but that only goes up to the end of Feb.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: GUEST,Terry McDonald
Date: 30 Jan 03 - 09:29 AM

I may have this wrong, but wasn't he on the Radio2 Johnny Walker programme a year or so ago? I think it was because his sister is Sally Boazman, who gives the traffic news. He sang and played guitar when he was on.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 29 Jan 03 - 12:00 PM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 11:55 AM

He was always a terrific acoustic slide blues player. He could play really slowly with absolute control - which some people mistakenly believe is easier than playing fast! I guess I had better get around your way and check him out next time I am in your area Roger. It won't be soon as I am rarely in the UK. I was hoping he might be playing some acoustic music again and singing his wonderful original songs along with stuff like "Diddy Wah Diddy". For me he is one of the great lost treasures of the British folk scene.
I am sceptical about him being the same guy who played on the Cale albums, because I have never heard of Cale recording in the UK and Bill was only ever known locally. Stories of him gigging and recording with Gerald Moore and Heron are much more likely to be true. Thanks for your help Roger and please tell him when you see him that he has a fan out here in Germany!

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 09:55 AM

He certainly seems to have played on some JJ Cale albums.

Two more quotes from reviews Google threw up:

Sonny Black and the Dukes are one of the classiest British straight blues acts around. Sonny is undoubtedly one of Britain's best blues guitarists and yet one of the best kept secrets of the British blues scene; so much so that there isn't much available biography on Sonny that we can relate. We do know that he has been playing guitar from a very early age and that his first influences and professional performances were acoustic folk music.
Sonny however eventually succumbed to the blues, seamlessly adapting his folk techniques to acoustic blues. He didn't acquire his first electric guitar until well into his blues career and it seemed only natural to him to continue to adapt and develop his finger style playing for his new instrument. This has resulted in a superbly unique guitar style. A rich velvety sound reminiscent of the 40's and 50's jazz greats but uniquely Sonny's, most definitely blue and as the name of his debut album implies, played from the heart and with soul.

One of the UK's finest and most respected guitarists, Sonny Black and his fabulous band have a unique take on the blues, mixing standards and self-penned materials, all delivered in a consummate style that has made them a favourite with audiences everywhere. Making his second visit to BluesNights, Sonny's sidesmen include UK blues veterans Bob Haddrell (keyboards/vocals) and George Pearson (bass/vocals), together with recent addition Damon Sawyer (drums). The 2000 album 'Heart and Soul' showed Sonny Black and the Dukes at their finest, attracting much radio airplay and rave reviews from the blues press. With another album due soon, this BluesNight promises to be an ace!
'Sonny Black and the Dukes are still the classiest British straight blues act around. Sonny Black is indubitably one of the finest blues guitar players this country has ever produced. He is a performer who can be mentioned in the same breath as British blues guitar gods like Peter Green and Eric Clapton. Not only is his technical mastery of both acoustic and electric instruments complete, he also possesses that quality that can only be called blues soul. His subtle guitar work comes straight from the heart, and you can feel the emotional intensity behind every note he plays.' - Scott Duncan, Blueprint Magazine

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 09:25 AM

PPS
As Sonny's website doesn't look very up to date here's a current contact 'phone number for bookings (taken from his latest instrumental CD Blues of a kind) 01252-877412. Bob Hadrill (keyboards) and George Pearson (bass) share vocals with Sonny, the drummer has varied when I've seen them recently (one also moonlighted with a Robbie William trubute band!)

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 04:46 AM

Does anyone know which "Fortune of War" it was in the piccies. There used to be a club at a pub of that name (since demolished) in Woolwich.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 04:14 AM

PS I don't mean it's MY club, I mean it's the club I belong to and go to regularly...
and South Hill Park IS in Bracknell, photo you posted was taken in the Cellar Bar. Saw him there just before Xmas a few days before he came back to JAGZ. He meets with Herself's approval as well.

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 04:10 AM

Yes, from the pictures Sonny Black (of Sonny Black & the Dukes)is Bill Boazman. I knew Sonny's name was Bill but I didn't know his surname was Boazman.
He plays regularly at my club (Jagz Ascot - www.jagz.co.uk)as well as at South Hill Park. He's one of my favourite British blues bands. I had a long chat with him last time he appeared, before Xmas,about our favourite guitarists and he put me on to Grant Green who I hadn't heard , to my shame. He also played a Charley Patton bottleneck tune for me.
Still playing great guitar, acoustic,and electric, slide and regular, with the Dukes and has some CDs out. I have "Heart and Soul" and "Blues of a Kind".
His web site is
HERE

RtS

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 03:50 AM

Thanks. Is that the place at Bracknell I wonder? I was hoping that someone might have some up to date information on where he plays (if he is still active) and if he ever performs his own songs.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 03:46 AM

There's a photo of a Bill Boazman playing

here

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 03:01 AM

I am going to be cheeky and refresh this in the hope that someone from his area will spot it!

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 26 Jan 03 - 04:52 AM

Thanks Alice. That's about as far as I got, but I'll check out your site there. Google also has a Bill Boazman listed as playing on JJ Cale albums, but that has to be another guitarist. The idea of JJ Cale recording anywhere near Reading is just too bizarre!
Thanks Snuffy too. I remember a guy called Terry who played a bit of slide guitar occasionaly with Gerald and Jo Moore.He is probably not the one though, as the writer of the song you quoted must be older. I'll refresh this thread for a day or two and see if anyone else knows anything.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Alice
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 06:39 PM

Don't know him, but a google.com search brings up plenty....

Bill Boazman, a.k.a Sonny Black previously led the Sonny Black Blues Band. Around '96 the band split up and the rhythm section turned into the Mighty 45s. So Sonny gradually assembled the Dukes:
http://www.fridhammar.com/xsonnybla.html

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Snuffy
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 06:25 PM

It's written and performed by a guy called Terry ?????, who now lives in Warwickshire, but originates from somewhere south and/or East of here.

The words above are the chorus of his song about a folk club in the 60s at a pub called the Molly Miller. This would be the right sort of time frame, and the song only says he sang the blues. It was the others at the folk club who sang Irish songs

FWIW, Terry accompanies himself on guitar. He plays left-handed but the guitar is strung in the conventional right-handed way.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 06:08 PM

I shouldn't think so. He must be in his early/middle fifties these days. He certainly used to have left wing politics and was quite passionate about certain causes. He had a lovely song about Victor Jara. I can't recall him doing any Irish songs - although that does not mean that he never did. He certainly knew Ian A Anderson and Maggie Holland - then Hot Vultures and Gerald (GT) Moore. I wonder which song you are quoting there. It may give me a clue.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: Snuffy
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 05:50 PM

"????? ?????? sang The Rambling Boy, Bill Boazman sang the blues
Some sang songs of Vietnam and hoped the Yanks would lose.
We sang the Irish rebel songs by the rising of the moon
Down at the Molly Miller Club, some thirty five years ago."

Could that be the fella?

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 03:56 PM

Thanks Ron. He looks like an interesting guy - and I will have a better look at his website later on - but I think the feller I'm after lives in Hampshire, UK. I think he abandoned songwriting (which is a terrible shame) and went back to playing only blues.

Subject: RE: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 03:29 PM

Do you mean Bob Brozman? www.bobbrozman.com

Reading, PA perhaps?

Subject: Bill Boazman - Anyone know him?
From: alanabit
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 03:02 PM

Back in the seventies, when I frequented the Reading and area folk club scene, I saw several acts - amateur and professional - who etched themselves into my memory. My favourite was a blues/ragtime guitarist called Bill Boazman. He had a great voice for it and played guitar well. In particular I liked his own songs, some of which were recorded by other artists. Bill Caddick did one I believe. Wizz Jones certainly did "Roll on River", Paul Downes and Johnny Coppin both did "The Worm Forgives the Plough". I believe there were others. I searched through Google without turning up anything of interest.I would love to get a recording of songs like "Breaking Even" or "Bless These Children". I wonder if anyone from that area - or perhaps around Bracknell or Farnham knows anything?