Brian Brooks came up through the clubs and concert stages and developed an individual style influenced by pop, rock, folk/blues and Celtic music.

Making his first appearance in a post war, post industrial London - an era which straddled a time of immense change and upheaval between the old and the new - Brian's first thoughts were that he was glad he hadn't been born a few years earlier.

Initially classically trained, experiencing blues and rock & roll in the early 1960's was, for him, equivalent to Saint Paul on the road to Damascus. He cut his teeth in the London club scene during those halcyon years of the mid to late 1960's - as an audience member and occasional performer in venues such as Les Cousins, on Greek Street in Soho, listening to and learning from legendary musicians such as Davey Graham, Wizz Jones, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and John Martyn.

Moving to the USA in 1968, he studied painting, drawing and photography and got involved with the musical world of clubs, festivals, concert halls and college circuitry. During this period, in addition to a partnership in a successful live music club in Greenwich Village, and acting in tv and film, he toured in every State of the Union except Hawaii, spending time also in Canada and Mexico and working with such luminaries as Spider John Koerner, Son House, Andy Warhol, John Lennon and Chuck Berry. In addition to playing on the folk circuit in places such as Gerde's Folk City, Cafe Wha'? and The Gaslight, he was also in one of the first bands to regularly perform in Hilly Cristal's CBGB's, on The Bowery, sharing the stage with Blondie, Talking Heads, The Ramones and Television and recording on the Adelphi label.

Returning to Europe in 1979, Brian toured and exhibited internationally, playing mostly in Celtic/folk/traditional/acoustic bands and recording on the Highway and Topic labels.

In the mid 1990's he relocated to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he worked with some fine musicians and technicians, along the way assisting Beatles producer Sir George Martin on his film "Rhythms of Life". It was during his time in Brazil that Brian recorded his first solo album "Everything Takes Forever" following his highly acclaimed EP "Paint the Town". He also began work on his second full album entitled "Hold On To The Night". He is currently adding to his collection of recordings of traditional and world music, which features a selection of songs and melodies which have moved and influenced him over the years.

Brian recently received his Masters degree in painting and hopes, one day, to get to Hawaii...


'Everything Takes Forever' is available on CDBaby.com