Charlie McCoy in London 2019

Charlie is well known as the top Nashville session harmonica player with around 40 LPs of his own and many more as a session man with Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Johnny Cash … He has been a regular visitor to France and he was in the UK in 1978 when he played Stone Fox Chase, the theme music from the Old Grey Whistle Test with Val Doonican on his BBC TV show. This tune from the Area Code 615 album is one of the best known harmonica tracks in Britain.

Charlie was back again in September for a couple of shows at the Pizza Express Live, in Holborn, London, with the Robert Wells Trio. He put on a great show playing a wide range of blues, soul and country music and also took time to talk to the many harp lovers in the audience.

Charlie’s autobiography came out this year. It is a great read and is full of stories about the many sessions he played on and the musicians he has met since his career began in 1958.