Mike Sanchez - Early Career

Early Career

Sanchez was born in East London to Spanish parents Jesus Sanchez Diaz and Manola Bastida Gil. In 1975 when Sanchez was 11 his family moved to the Bewdley, Worcestershire area where he attended Bewdley High School and Kidderminster College. As a teenager Sanchez took up playing the guitar and formed a rockabilly trio, The Rockets. Sanchez developed a strong love for 1950s American roots music and also took up playing the piano.

Sanchez was introduced to former Savoy Brown, Steve Gibbons and Chicken Shack band member Andy Silvester through Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, and led to the 1984 formation of the Big Town Playboys.

Procol Harum pianist Gary Brooker, a fan of the Big Town Playboys, introduced Sanchez to Amen Corner's Andy Fairweather-Low and Eric Clapton. The band were soon opening up for Clapton on various tours and shows from 1987 onwards, including numerous shows at the Royal Albert Hall). Later in the mid-90s Fairweather-Low was recruited as the band's guitarist.

The Big Town Playboys made a number of studio recordings, including a collaboration with Jeff Beck, which spawned the release Crazy Legs on Sony Music.

Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood also involved the Big Town Playboys in several visits to the USA during the late 80's and early 90's including a nationwide television appearance on The Pat Sajak show.

Sanchez and the Big Town Playboys headlined many European music festivals and worked with several noted blues musicians, such as Jimmy Nelson, Lowell Fulson, Carey Bell, Don and Dewey, Little Willie Littlefield and Joe Hughes.