Soon after he was born, his mother (Aggie) moved the family back to Birkenhead after the World War II bombing raids.
[2] He left school early and worked intermittently as an apprentice telephone engineer, on the railways, and in the flour mills before joining the army.
Returning to England, he married, played in local bands, and worked in a variety of jobs before becoming a teacher[1] at Portland Primary School on Laird Street, Birkenhead.
However, in 1994 his song "What Colour is the Wind", which tells the story of a young blind child's attempts to envision the world, began to be played in Ireland after a TV appearance on RTÉ's Kenny Live show.
[4] His songs have been recorded by Foster and Allen ("I Will Love You All My Life"), Roly Daniels ("Part of Me"), and George Hamilton IV ("Heaven Knows").