I like to mention people and their influence. I must tell a story from when I worked in an accountant’s office for Bison concrete in Lichfield for two years after leaving Art College. That was 1965 to 1967. (The job was far from being my cup of tea, and I even had to take the morning tea around to the office workers!) but it paid enough to be able to buy a decent guitar on the hire purchase and still have some spending money!

I was enduring my office job during the day and gigging with my local three-piece band at night, often getting home at three or four in the morning — then up at seven for the office job! The remarkable thing was, I found I was making more money playing two or three nighttime gigs a week than all week at the office job. Our little band was getting a small local following playing our brand of Elmore James blues in the folk clubs and pubs around the Midlands.

Anyway, to my story. Working just under the chief accountant in the office was a man named Brian Downing who sometimes trained me with the accounting ledgers. He was a quiet man in his late twenties or early thirties, who worked without fuss and fanfare, and in the winter, would pause from his work, take off his glasses and gaze serenely at the sunset. One evening, right after one of those reflective times, he was working with me and told me, “You know, Jeremy, once you have climbed the ladder of success and are famous, you must never forget those who helped you get there. Always give them credit whenever you can.”

I was mystified, as at the time, I was a ‘nobody’, just gigging around with my two friends, but I never forgot that prophetic and insightful message. I did not follow his advice during my stroppy Fleetwood Mac years, however, but I have tried to do so ever since, when the opportunity arises.