Shropshire Star

Mick Fleetwood plays mentor to Shrewsbury singer Dan

One of the world's most successful rock stars has offered to mentor a 20-year-old Shropshire musician after spotting a clip of him on YouTube.

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Mick Fleetwood, from Fleetwood Mac, with Dan Owen, from Shrewsbury. The rock star has agreed to mentor the 20-year-old

Mick Fleetwood, from Fleetwood Mac, saw Shrewsbury's Dan Owen, AKA Blues Boy Dan, play a cover of Bob Dylan's The Ballad Of Hollis Brown.

About 400,000 people have watched the video, filmed in September at the Newark Blues Festival. Dan, who is now playing under the name Blues Boy Dan Owen, said he could not believe it when he heard from the music legend.

Dan said: "Mick sort of found me via YouTube then came to a record industry showcase in London. We went for dinner and just had a chat. I mean, his stuff, Fleetwood Mac, is pretty amazing really. He's been there and done it, so it's amazing to have someone like that on board. I've always liked Fleetwood Mac. He's been really, really good with me."

Mick said: "Dan's music is from the heart. It is genuine blues and Dan is at the forefront of the new wave in British singer-songwriter talent."

At 16, Dan nearly lost an eye when a piece of wood flew out of a machine and hit him during his carpentry apprenticeship.

He was in and out of hospital for months and had to give up his goal of becoming a guitar maker. For a while he felt sorry for himself, but then got into blues music and started gigging, securing an opportunity to play at last summer's British Blues Awards.

Dan is set to tour with ZZ Top later this year and record with Grammy-winning producer Vance Powell. He added: "Mick has been a real help, a real mentor. It was amazing to meet him. At first I thought it was someone else.

"I knew of Fleetwood Mac but I thought it can't be him, it was. The first thing he said to me was 'I feel like I know you already'. We really got on."

Dan added that he was planning to fly to Nashville soon to record album tracks at Blackbird Studio.

Meanwhile, Blues Boy Dan will play a hometown gig at the Walker Theatre, at Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn, on April 6 as part of Theatre of Blues.

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