Derek Holt

This is Derek Holt, bassist and keyboards-player with Climax Chicago Blues Band, Climax Chicago and Climax Blues Band from 1968 to 1982 and at points beyond. In May 2016 I contacted Derek with the idea of writing a book on the history of the Climax Blues Band to commemorate the impending 50th anniversary of the release of the band’s debut album in 1969. From the start Derek supported and encouraged the project and made available his own memoirs and considerable archive, as did his bandmates and associates. So began an amazing journey which culminated in the book Derek holds in the photo and which is now available. My thanks to Derek and the other band members, management, technicians, producers, engineers, sleeve designers, family and friends who contributed and made the book possible. This is the first in what I hope will be an occasional gallery of the people who ‘were there’, who kindly contributed and whose stories are told in the first volume of Climax Blues Band – An Illustrated History.