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Since childhood Grimsby based Dick Appleton has been in love with the guitar. Circumstances prevented him from having one as a young boy but recalls one particular day when hew as fourteen visiting a friend's house and picking up a guitar, albeit with some of the strings missing and playing along to a Ray Charles record. From that moment he was totally hooked.

Dick is one of those people has that gift of being able to reproduce music on simply hearing it, but is equally at home to adapting it to his own particular style. Although an established performer and composer of many years he enjoys passing on his skills to new players as a guitar tutor both privately and also at Franklin College.

During his interview he talks in detail about his early musical influences and recalls how the first records from The Rolling Stones and their blues style at the time interested him greatly.

He's worked with a number of musicians over the years, including Bert Jansch and Stefan Grossman. Particularly highlighting the work of folk vocalist Anne Briggs who had a major influence on the folk scene in this country and abroad. Dick himself is no stranger to travel and is equally at home travelling to Middlesborough or New York.

Over the years Dick has established his own particular style of playing and using basic equipment is able to produce a multi-layered sound which sounds like a number of guitars all playing at once, when in reality only one instrument is used. He calls this format 'Dickatronix' which he has no difficulty in reproducing live on stage, much to the surprise and the delight of his audiences.

Dick's picture is of an old friend he likes to call his 'Boy in a Suit'. His four legged companion, 'Treacle' was the son he never had, although what his two daughters must think of their relationship is anyone's guess.

He says Treacle was very intelligent and was a constant companion in Dick's home studio and was very happy amongst the microphones, headphones and multi-track recording equipment.

You can see Dick performing some of his work on YouTube using the link above and you can visit Dick's website to find out about his prolific output on both CD and DVD.