Tim Ainslie Profile

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Tim Ainslie (Guitar and Vocals):

Tim began playing the guitar at 15 years of age and is predominantly self-taught but he has had two significant tutors over the years, Toni Vines and Mick Hanson. Tim’s early influences included Eric Clapton, Peter Green, BB King, Freddie King and SRV.

His amazing ability led to him turning professional in 1997, since then he has developed a reputation as one of the most exciting and versatile performers around. Digital Blues listeners recently voted Tim Ainslie as ‘Best Guitarist’.

Tim has always been a key songwriter in his musical collaborations. With ‘The People Have Spoken’ he has really produced the goods presenting a superb debut CD. It was by chance that  Tim started playing at all; his father bought an electric guitar in which Tim initially showed little interest – however upon hearing his father jam along to Tim’s rock ‘n’ roll and early 60’s blues records, he was suddenly inspired to want to know ‘how to do that’!?! ‘It’s only 3 chords Boy!’ his father replied and Tim was soon on his way jamming the blues. Shortly after, Tim was further inspired by Toni Vines and ‘The Mean Red Spiders’ in the late 80’s, to want to play on stage. It was not long before he was doing so and has never looked back since.  Tim started performing in the late eighties as a teenager with ‘Steamboat to Chicago’ and ‘Steel Street’. Tim then formed ‘Swagger’ in the early nineties, who became “notorious” for their original compositions, classy arrangements and a highly vibrant live show.

A few years later time spent studying the guitar and music under Mick Hanson developed Tim into the truly great guitarist he is today, reaching new levels and finding more and more new sounds.   This is when Tim really came of age as a player, leading to performances at clubs, festivals and functions, across the UK and Europe….…Tim became the Guitarist that guitarists come to see!

Tim then went on the ‘Groove Doctors’ USA tour and befriended and then toured with ‘Lightnin’ Willie’ on his UK 08 Tour and BBC Radio 2 session. Tim then played with the ‘Groove Doctors’ at National Blues Festivals and recorded and toured with ‘King Bizkit’.    In addition, Tim has performed and led workshops with Buddy Whittington (Ex John Mayall) and Gregg Wright (Ex Michael Jackson).

The natural progression for Tim was to front his own project, branching out and forming  ‘Ainslie’s Vibes’, with Tim on guitar and vocals, performing a mixture of original compositions and standard tunes.