Music maestro dies at 70

An acclaimed folk and flamenco guitarist who pioneered Black Country pride in the 1960s and wrote two popular guide books of the area has died aged 70.

Michael Raven, a guitarist with The Black Country Three and the author of more than 80 music books, was in the vanguard of the movement towards pride in Black Country heritage.

The group, which gave its first concert in Wolverhampton, enjoyed a string of TV and radio appearances and toured the country.

Express & Star writer John Ogden, who first met the group in 1965, said today: "Michael was a consummate guitarist who later threw himself with equal enthusiasm into writing and had updated his two massive guide books to the area only a few weeks before he died.

"Although suffering from severe illness, he still played the occasional concert and made his last appearance at the Madeley Folk Festival in Shropshire just over a year ago."

Born in Cardiff, Mr Raven came to Wolverhampton as a boy when his father was appointed borough electrical engineer, living near West Park. He was an accomplished cross country runner and an Army Midlands decathlon champion.

Inspired by Lonnie Donegan, in 1962 he informed his singer/guitarist brother Jon they were going to form a folk group, and the brothers took up the guitar alongside flautist Derek Craft.

But at tough rock n'roll venue The Bushbury Arms, they began with a song called Roses Are Red, My Love, Violets are Blue, and were sent packing from the stage.

They persisted and eventually formed their own folk club, but Mr Raven became enthralled with Flamenco music, and studied it at source with gipsy musicians in Barcelona, Malaga and Granada.

Mr Raven died on Tuesday from pneumonia at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, leaving a widow, Eve.