Born in 1946 in Birkenhead on Merseyside, Michael Gray was of an age to attend The Cavern club during the early 1960s. However, he never saw THE BEATLES, who were “just one beat group out of dozens playing every Friday and Saturday night.” In fact, to those in the area, the 'Merseybeat sound' was just the sound of the local groups. Michael's musical passion came when he heard BOB

AN EVENING WITH WRITER MICHAEL GRAYAT TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUMSUNDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER @ 7:30PM

DYLAN during his time at the University of York. He graduated from the University of York with a BA in History and English in 1967 and became a freelance writer; his pioneering study 'Song & Dance Man: The Art of Bob Dylan' was published in the UK in 1972, the first book ever to be published on Bob Dylan's work. He was also part of the magazine co-operative 'Let it Rock',a monthly British music publication.

In 1977 he became head of Press for United Artists Records (UK) Ltd, where he met GERRY RAFFERTY. In 1979, after the runaway success of Gerry Rafferty's single 'Baker Street' and the 'City to City' album, Rafferty invited Michael to become his personal manager. At the time Rafferty was living in Scotland, but finding he was spending much time travelling to meetings in London. Michael was living in London, but they both relocated to Tunbridge Wells, taking offices in the upper floor of York House, Grosvenor Road. Michael had a flat on Mount Ephraim, and drove a white Cadillac around the town, and has many fond memories of his time here. He was of course here when The Forum was still the public toilets! From their base in the town they travelled to London, went on tours, and to the States for business with the American record company.

The pair worked together until 1982, when they parted company, and Michael returned to freelancing. Michael lived in Tunbridge Wells until the mid 1980s; Gerry Rafferty and family had a farm near Hartfield until the early 1990s.

Michael has written various other books, and since 2,000 has been touring his one man show, in both Europe and

Read more about Michael Gray on his website: www.michaelgray.net

America. He is very pleased to bring 'Bob Dylan and the history of Rock'n'Roll' to Tunbridge Wells Forum on Sunday 20th September 2015. Michael’s show at The Forum will be a seated event, with interval. Doors open at 7.30pm, with the show commencing at 8pm. This is more one-man-show than talk. With wit and style, the author of The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia and Song & Dance Man III: The Art Of Bob Dylan - definitive studies of Dylan’s 50-year-plus body of work - traces how rock’n’roll arrived for the teenage Robert Zimmerman, how it disintegrated into safe and shallow pop by the time Dylan was ready to launch his own career, and how it lured him back after his folksinging days. Using great records and rare footage, Michael goes on to celebrate Dylan’s crucial role in modernising rock music when he went electric, and highlights some of Dylan’s more recent rocking moments. Michael will be available at the end to answer questions, and will have copies of his CD Audio-books for sale.

Tickets : £10 (available from twforum.co.uk)