JOHN Verity is renowned as one of the country’s best blues rock guitarists. Probably best known for his time with the band Argent in the Seventies. John has influenced a whole generation of guitar players and even had his own signature guitars made especially for him.

But when he saw a then little known American guitarist on his first UK tour, John admits that he felt like packing it all in.

“Jimi Hendrix was just on a different planet to the rest of us,” recalls John, who will be playing a solo date at Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre on Sunday night.

“He was so good it kind of made you feel like not playing any more. The thing that really sticks in my mind, and we’re talking the Sixties here, is that he wasn’t looking at his guitar, it was just part of him and everything was completely natural.”

John would later support Hendrix at what would prove to be his final show in America.

“After that show he came over to do the Isle of Wight Festival and then the inevitable happened,” said John. Hendrix died aged just 27.

John got his big break when he himself returned from America and with his band supported rock outfit Argent.

During the tour, Argent’s guitarist and vocalist Russ Ballard quit.

“He said ‘you should look at the guy in the support band to replace me’,” said John. “It was one of those being in the right place at the right time things really.

“Musically Argent was very much out of my comfort zone as I had come up as a blues guitarist but it was too great an opportunity for me to turn down.”

John played and sang with Argent from 1974 until the band split in 1976.

“I just went back to doing what I’d been doing before,” he said, “although having been in Argent meant my profile was much higher.”

Since leaving Argent, John has released 20 solo albums, including last year’s Blue to My Soul and he continues to tour with his own band all over Europe.

For Sunday night’s gig, John will be playing a solo show.

“I just thought I’ll do something a bit different for the Barnoldswick show,” he said. “I’m looking at doing a couple of sets. The first will be an acoustic set, with me doing unplugged versions of some of my normal stuff but also things that people may not have heard me do before - songs that have been very influential on what I do.

“For the second set, I’ll do an electric set probably with some backing tracks. It’s something I have done at guitar shows which has gone down very well.”

At 69, John’s enjoyment at making music is as evident as ever.

“I still sing and play every day,” he said. “I just love getting that connection with an audience; that is what it’s all about really.”

John Verity, Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre, Sunday, September 2. Details from 01282 813374 or www.barnoldswickmusicandartscentre.com