It is with a terrible sense of loss that I have to announce the death of my great friend, Dick Heckstall - Smith who died last night in a London hospital.

Dick was one of my very closest friends and when I first came to London in the early sixties he took me under his wing. I looked up to him as an older brother and he introduced me to many aspects of music that changed my whole life. Indeed it was Dick who got me my first important job with Alexis Korner's Blues Inc. Dick it was who first played me the early music of Bob Dylan and the Beatles He turned me on to great writers I had not known as yet like Joseph Heller and Malcolm Lowry.

If it had not been for his encouragement and guidance, I might never have been a part of the blossoming London scene. Dick introduced me to Ginger Baker and told me to check out a brilliant new guitarist called Eric Clapton!

Dick never received the recognition he deserved. He was without doubt the world's foremost blues saxophonist. His ability on tenor and soprano saxes (sometimes both at the same time) was unsurpassed in his chosen field.

Goodbye Dick. It was a great honour to have known you and a great privilege to have played with you. You will live in my heart forever. 18/12/2004