These rare photos taken at a Henry’s Blueshouse night at The Crown pub, close to New Street station, show American Blues artists Champion Jack Dupree and Rev Garry Davis on stage. Also pictured are Simon Prager, Steve Rye and Jim Simpson who booked the bands, arranged the use of the room and advertised the club in the Birmingham Mail. The adverts were small but alerted music fans to the bands and the atmosphere: “groovy movies, urbin (sic) blues, sounds, people, things” stated one such advert. The films included Buster Keaton and cartoons and were shown in a side room.

Courtesy of Norman Hood