ONE of the most important figures in the nation’s blues music scene has died.

John Drummond was a musician and promoter who backed a mixture of local and national bands with his regular Brewery Blues nights in Cirencester at the New Brewery Arts among other venues across the area. Aged just 66 he died after taking ill a few days before his death on March 25, leaving his wife Julie and daughters Caroline and Kristina and grandchildren Leo, Tegan, Liam, Jordan, Kaiden and Bailey.

His death is a tragedy as he left a legacy of musical excellence because he popularised a range of genres with his enthusiasm including his contribution to the Minety Festival in Wiltshire.

Bands such as the Black Feathers who toured the USA along with artists George Montague, Ben Maggs, Henry Bateman and Katie Brooks. Another headliner was The Curious Little Big Band who he highlighted and Elles Bailey the singer song writer who is currently on tour in Europe.

Richard Swatton who worked with John as a sound engineer said: “It is with great sadness that we recently said goodbye to John Drummond, who suddenly passed away on Monday, March 25, 2019. John was the singer for a number of years in local band ‘The Blues Grinders’ and latterly for ‘The Missing’. He spent much of his career working in the graphic design world, but his love and passion was always music.

“John went on to become the key founder of Brewery Blues in 2009 and won an award through the Cirencester Chamber of Commerce for that venture. Over the course of the past 10 years, he had helped and given a platform to a huge number of musicians, especially new, young acts that were often given their first taste of live performing in front of larger audiences. John supported acts, both locally and nationally.”