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They say the Irish have all the luck, and Tom has the talent to go with it.  In the very early 1960s, long before the big 'blues boom', Tom McGuinness shared the stage in a band called The Roosters with none other than an 18 year old prodigy, Eric Clapton.  In 1964, just as 5-4-3-2-1 was poised for the big time, Tom joined Manfred Mann and stayed right through their glittering career until they disbanded in 1969.  In 1970, with drummer Hughie Flint and singer-songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, he formed McGuinness Flint, and 'When I'm Dead and Gone' hit No. 1 in the charts.

After McGuinness Flint his varied, creative career offered new opportunities. the 1980s saw Tom writing, producing and working in television.  He produced and directed the award-winning South Bank Show on Jimi Hendrix. His book on the music business, 'So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star?' is still essential reading for any aspiring pop musician.  And then came that phone call from Paul Jones - "Let's form a band to play some blues ...."  Tom's fiery Stratocaster is today yet another integral element in the sound of The Blues Band.

Today, with his other role in the ever-popular re-formed Manfreds, the career of Tom McGuinness is as varied as ever.