8:30am Saturday 7th June 2008
A GUITAR shop owner has been booked to play at this year's Glastonbury music festival.
Mike Harper, who owns Guitar House 55, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, sent a demo disc to the show's organisers, who were so impressed they booked him a slot on the bandstand stage.
Mr Harper, 60, was inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton as a teenager growing up in Edinburgh, and he was in several bands.
But after he left university, he started what he describes as a "proper job" in the computer industry, and music took a back seat.
Mr Harper lives in Catterick with his wife, Helen, with whom he has three grown children.
He said: "In 1995, when my son was 13, he decided he wanted to learn guitar, so I dug mine out and started teaching him. After that, I started playing again, and five years ago, I opened the shop here in Richmond, so I could be around guitars all day."
Mr Harper is a member of jazz quartet Jazz Me Blues and blues band Delta Sheiks, but will play solo at Glastonbury. As well as his slot on the bandstand stage, he has also been booked for the Fluffy Rock Cafe on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, where he will play classic blues songs.
He said: "It has always been a dream of mine to play at Glastonbury.
"For the past few years, I have been building up my solo repertoire and playing local festivals, but nothing like this.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
The festival will take place from June 27 to 29.
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