My friend Brian Smith, who has died aged 82, played a role in the British blues boom of the 1960s. His photographs of American artists appeared on album sleeves and magazines, and later on CDs and box sets. He created defining images of Howlin’ Wolf, T Bone Walker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Chuck Berry and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
While he was still at school Brian had seen Lonnie Donegan’s skiffle group play as an interval act at a Chris Barber gig at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1954. Thereafter he became a huge Donegan fan, learning about the blues from seeing him perform on many occasions.
