My Dad christened me Dunno from Dunmow, for every time he asked me what I wanted to be I would just shrug ‘n’ say “dunno”. Everything seemed so uninspiring and I was pretty sure all jobs looked pants and when I got my first job at 16 working at a shoe shop I knew I was right.

The only thing that inspired me was music. The Logical Song by Supertramp did more for me then school ever did. But it was always Elvis who cut through the most.

At 20 I went on a Club 18-30 holiday and that changed my life no doubt about it. I got up, well dragged up, to sing so I sang some Elvis and everybody went crazy and the rush, oh the rush. I got offered a job as a rep, went home told my Dad who was just happy I found something I liked bless him. I learnt a lot.

In ’87 I went to Memphis and recorded some Elvis songs and when I finished the guy at the desk said “That’s as close as they come son.” They asked me to record more songs and even change the lyrics to show it was this kid from England, they even sent me out to do gigs in Memphis plus I got to hang out at Graceland everyday and go and have a chat with Elvis’ horse Rising Sun. It was then for the first time I understood my rock ‘n’ roll mission.

I’ve sung for everybody, from gangsters to royalty. I’ve sung in pubs, I’ve sung in The Ritz. I’ve sung for 16,000 people but believe me it’s much harder to sing to 10.

By the 90s I had my own band called X Certificate we played everywhere we ended up working with The Bay City Rollers, George Michael, Dennis Waterman, Robert Powel, Pete Doherty and when we played at The Globe in Hackney, Amy Winehouse would come along for a boogie, while sat up at the back in his usual spot was Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac.

Pretty soon after all this Channel 4 got in touch as they were making a program called “Sex in the 80s” The Story of Club 18-30.  So they called me obvs. While being driven around back in the old stomping ground of The Algarve I decided I quite liked this telly malarkey, so I did all sorts. Fords Dagenham dream for BBC Virgin Diary’s on BBC2…very posh,  even Harry Hill picked up on one show and it all went bonkers again.

Meanwhile in my proper job I had returned back to my first love and was doing Elvis shows all over the country, how I loved it, being King for a day is good but 10 shows a week is even better. The only other medium that beats telly is radio, how I love radio. I did my own show. The Dave Harley Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio Show for 7 years and I adored doing it, online and proper transmitted old school FM. Played some Elvis, Sex Pistols mixed with a bit of Travelling Wilburys. It’s all rock’n’roll to me.

So here we are and here is my float in the deep blue sea of rock’n’roll looking for a bite for a new adventure. Thankyouverymuch.

Dave Harley