BOLTON-born John Nixon has recorded his own CD....at the age of 72.

One thing's for sure, he has had plenty of practice playing the concertina which is featured on the CD.

For John was taught to play the instrument at the age of four by his father, Jack.

When he was seven, John was photographed by the Bolton Evening News with the Bolton English Concertina Band.

John broadcast in Manchester with the band because fellow members claimed he was their "mascot". He had to wait five years until he gained a licence to broadcast again.

Born in Radcliffe Street, Bolton, John later moved with his parents to Farnworth.

After leaving Worsley Technical College, he trained for a career in engineering and design, and worked in that profession while carrying on with his music at evenings and weekends.

He played solos for Children's Hour programmes, accompanied by Violet Carson on the piano, and duets with his father at numerous venues.

He recalls that his broadcast fees were about "one guinea" a session which was a lot of money to him. He last broadcast from Manchester when he was in his early twenties.

The Bolton Concertina Band split up around the time when the Second World War broke out, and John learned to play the saxophone.

When the lead saxophonist at Bolton Palais left, John took his place.

Names he recalls from those Palais days include Jack Howarth, Charlie Marsh, Phil Moss, Freddy Ashworth and Jimmy Nowell.

Another venture was with the Leigh-based band Night Owls. They regularly played at St Joseph's church hall, Leigh. There he worked with Wilf Hardman, Jack Hesford, Billy Love, Ted and Ronnie Lowe, Jim Speakman and Wally Oultram.

He also remembers playing at the Broadway in Eccles where he was saxophonist and band leader. Brian Calvert was on piano and Vinny Atherton on drums.

John even found time to form a saxophone quintet which included Max Holgate and Sam Pollitt.

In 1972 he met the legendary accordion player Jack Emblow who recommended him to many people in the recording world. John's ability to sight-read meant he was much in demand.

Emblow has written an introductory piece to John's CD - The English Connection - which celebrates the English Concertina.

"John is one of the most versatile musicians I know," Emblow writes. "On this record he is mainly using the instrument for which he is so well known - the English Concertina. On several tracks John is joined by the marvellous American accordionist, Frank Marocco."

So John's claim to be the UK's most experienced English Concertina performer, is well substantiated.

He has worked with a number of noted musicians, including Peter Knight, who conducted the London Symphony Orchestra when John recorded with them on four occasions, Michel Le Grande, Barbra Streisand and Paul McCartney.

John has made numerous recordings for television programmes including All Creatures Great and Small and 'Allo 'Allo.

In 1986, John finished with his "day work" and retired to Congleton. There he has built up his own recording studio.

"All the tracks were recorded there," John said. "apart from six which were recorded in Los Angeles."

He added" The concertina had been neglected. People always used to associate it with the Salvation Army, then later it became a folk instrument. There's nothing wrong with that but there is much more to it.

I want people to appreciate how this instrument can sound. "

John is obviously proud of his Bolton roots. "I still think of myself as 'a reet grand Bowton lad'," he told me.

He has dedicated his CD to "...my late father, who taught me musical intelligence and the English Concertina".

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.