jon blake

In 1969, at 14, I stood backstage with Bob Dylan as he prepared to perform at the Isle Of Wight Pop Festival. He told me that one day I would inherit his mantle.

Only one of these two sentences is true. Find out which in my myspace blog (see below).

Online reviewers have said the following about the songs on my album 'Closure':

- 'Love in an empty room' - Jon, your material is consistently good.

- 'Come Home Soon' is a beautiful song -- love the chords, melody, lyrics and vocals.ï

- 'Closure' is (I feel) aching in emotion... I love it

- I really loved 'Can't Think What'...very melodic indeed

- 'Dangerous Friend' is a very powerful and moving piece -- between the lyrics and the mood of the tune itself it had hair standing up on my arms.

- 'Where we're from' is as good as it gets

- 'Roll Over Christmas' Beautiful music!

I'm a professional writer, mainly for teens and children, with a books website at My best-seller is "Daley B" with worldwide sales of over 100,000. You can buy my books online

I was shortlisted for the Children's Book Award and the Writers Guild Best Children's TV script in 1996. I'm also a BBC Talent awardwinner for adult radio comedy and (apparently) a member of the Welsh Academy.

I've been a teacher, lecturer, community worker, furniture salesman and done just about every temp job under the sun. These days it's mainly writing workshops in schools and elsewhere.

I've been writing and performing music since about 1970 - my first band thought they were Yes. Since then I've been in bands thinking they were everything from Tir Na Nog to The Jam - got quite serious with a new wave outfit called the Cutouts in the early 80s, then my writing career took off.

In 1996 I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and spent the next five or six years trying hard to breathe. It was this time my songwriting resurrected itself and I began writing the songs on 'Closure'. All of it is recorded on an MR8 in the kitchen of a terraced house in Adamsdown, Cardiff, with occasional help from my partner Natalie on vocals.

I've also got a New friends always welcome.

I also write a dedicated to destroying the reputation of reactionary children's writer Roald Dahl.

Please feel free to download 'Closure' (the album) for less than a UK fiver. Just click on 'purchase music' on the right.

Not so much these days but always considering it.

Dylan, Eels, Weakerthans, Mary Coughlan, Tom Waits, Shane McGowan, later Leonard Cohen, David Byrne, REM, anyone with a decent tune and lyric.

Tanglewood guitars (6-string, 12-string and electric), Yamaha keyboard, Novation synth, Dean's Ibanez bass, Behringer V-amp guitar effects, Shure mic, and a little red box called a Fostex MR8. It's all recorded in the kitchen, this being the only detached area of my terraced house.