I certainly didn’t – until I researched AMERICA’s Gift. What I found amazed me so much, I had to share it If I had a buck for everyone who told me they’d like my two blues eBooks turned into a ‘proper printed book’, I’d have … well, about 70 bucks. This wouldn’t make me rich,…

  America’s Gift’s VW Index. Where the figures aren’t fudged.  As you might expect, the entertainment genre, ‘vaudeville’, features on many pages in the book because that’s where most entertainers playing prototype blues in the early twentieth century were performing. You’ll see Muddy Waters gets quite a few mentions, too, even though AMERICA’S Gift doesn’t reinvent the…

The STU INDEX of America’s Gift: dedicated to Stu Stewart, the sixth Rolling Stone The young Stones with Ian Stewart, left. Ian Stewart was thought too ugly to be a Rolling Stone, even though he was founder Brian Jones’ first recruit. With Mick Jagger on vocals, Keith Richards on guitar, Mick Avory (later of the Kinks) on drums, Dick…

Eight records Keith Richards would take to a Desert Island If we ever needed proof Keith Richards is now an English national treasure, just take a listen to the old Stone smokily cackling away on BBC Radio’s Desert Island Discs. Once the genteel preserve of crusty academics, senior politicians and other UK establishment figures, Desert Island Discs…

Bet Kylie Minogue’s arse isn’t quite the R’s you were expecting. Thanks to the UK Sun newspaper for the picture. The P, Q & R of the AMERICA’S Gift Index The arse above belongs to Australian pop singer and actress Kylie Minogue. It has been voted the best arse in Britain. And if you’re a straight guy or a not-so-straight girl, it’s…