Stevey Hay

Stevey Hay, who has died aged 51, was a blues singer and guitarist whose best days, by all the apparent signs, lay ahead of him. The leader of a new band that formed just last year and was beginning to achieve widespread recognition and acclaim from blues authorities including Radio 2 presenter and Blues Band frontman Paul Jones, Hay was due to appear alongside blues legend Muddy Waters' son Mud Morganfield at Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival later this month.

Edinburgh-born, Hay became fascinated with the guitar as a youngster when he saw his father's instrument lying around the house. Forbidden to touch this hallowed possession, he nonetheless managed to teach himself the basics on that same guitar when his father was away at sea. He discovered a love for the blues early, without realising that what he found so appealing were the blue notes that give the music its feeling and soulfulness. "I'd often find myself watching a movie, like From Here to Eternity where Montgomery Clift plays that trumpet solo, and get really excited by the music," he told The Herald last year. "It didn't have to be a guitar playing, it was just those particular notes that attracted me."

Having saved up and bought a guitar of his own, Hay formed his first band, The Exploited, at the age of 16 and a year later he moved on to work with blues bands including Texas Breakfast and Mister Rhythm. Then, in deference to his guitar idol, Stevie Ray Vaughan, he formed his own band, Stevey Hay and the RayVons.

Supporting Robert Cray at the Usher Hall with Mister Rhythm was, he remembered, a great experience but an even better one followed the phone call that took Hay off on tour with the legendary blues harmonica player and singer, Mississippi-born Charlie Musselwhite.

Hay thought he was going to be playing guitar in Musselwhite's band. "But it turned out that I was the band," he recalled. "It was just the two of us and he didn't tell me anything. No song titles, no keys; all he said was: 'When I put my foot down, we start, and when I put my foot down again, we stop'."

Fortunately, Musselwhite's harmonicas were all labelled very clearly, so Hay was able to watch which one he was using and follow him in the correct key. Despite literally getting himself in a sweat onstage, through fear as much as overheating, Hay passed the harmonica master's test and as Musselwhite started sharing stories of his days with blues luminaries such as John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, he began to relax and really enjoy the experience of working with a true blues great.

They kept in touch once the tour had finished and Musselwhite remained a constant source of encouragement to Hay, as were Hay's fellow Edinburgh blues men Ronnie Tait and Tam White, both of whom also are sadly no longer with us. Although never one to talk up his own talents, Hay did like to tell the story of how he once noticed Tam White in the audience as he was singing White's signature song, Caledonia. Afterwards, he saw White approaching him and feared the worst. "I thought he was going to tell me to stick to the guitar," Hay remembered. "But he said: 'Nice singing, Gadgie', which was the ultimate compliment from Tam."

In 2009, having become disillusioned with the music scene, Hay took a break from playing in public. He worked in a community centre in Muirhouse, Edinburgh until, on an auspicious day last year, he was made redundant in the morning and a few hours later he received an early 50th birthday present from one of his oldest friends, a brand new Fender Stratocaster guitar.

Having just formed a new band, Stevey Hay's Shades of Blue with Tam White's former guitarist Neil Warden, Hay took this as a sign that he should pursue music full-time again. His style of urgent, rocking, good time blues was popular with audiences and Hay once again felt fulfilled.

He is survived by his wife Louise, daughter Jasmine and sons James and Steven.