(c’67-’76) Anthony “Duster” Bennett (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano and drum).
Born in Wales, Duster attended the Guildford School of Art with the likes of William Neal (painter of the “Tarkus” and “Pictures at an Exhibition” LP artwork), Top Topham and Dick Forcey. In the early 60’s he made ends meet as a session musician playing harmonica and was a member of the Jericho Jug Band. Duster also paired up with Topham, post The Yardbirds, for some duo work.
He formed his one-man blues band around the mid 60’s and performed his own compositions along with country blues standards and the odd gospel song, often aided by Topham, and later Peter Green. He became popular in the clubs and was often backed on vocals by Stella Sutton, whom he met at Epsom Art College and later married.
On 6 July ’67, Duster – who was still being billed as Tony Bennett – supported P.P. Arnold, Tony Rivers and the Castaways, and Whisker Davies Blues Stormers at the Civic Hall, Guildford at an event organized by the Guildford School of Art. A couple of months later he was back at the Civic Hall, on 14 September, supporting Fleetwood Mac at a charity concert held at the Civic Hall, Guildford. This was reportedly Duster’s first gig as Duster Bennett the ‘one man blues band’. Fleetwood Mac were backstage and asked organizer and compere Pete Newberry, who ran The Gin Mill Club, Godalming, “Who’s the band onstage?” “Oh, that’s not a band, that is Duster Bennett.” John McVie called Mike Vernon, who owned Blue Horizon record company, and Bennett was signed, with Newberry managing him; ultimately recording three albums and a number of singles for the label, with these tracks often appearing on John Peel’s Top Gear. “Living Blues”, another charity concert, in aid of Cancer Research, on 14 December ’67 featured Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Duster – once more billed as Tony Bennett, Chicago Northwestern System, Spirit Level, Dr Brown’s Gospel Medicine, and Electric Blue at the Civic Hall, Guildford.
The Blue Horizon, at The Nags Head, Battersea, presented Fleetwood Mac with Duster in support on 18 March ’68. Three months later, on 17 June, Duster was the headliner, holding the audience solo the whole night. Our research to date would indicate a very busy second half of 1968 for Duster: On 7 July ’68, Duster played the Woburn Music Festival, along with Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Champion Jack Dupree, Tim Rose and The Taste. The news breaks in the 20 July ’68 issue of Melody Maker that along with Fleetwood Mac and The New Generation, Duster has moved to the Starlite Artists agency with manager Cliff Davis; departing the Rik Gunnell agency. On the 22 July Duster supports Taste at the Marquee and was in Birmingham the day after, 23 July, headlining Henry’s Blueshouse at the Crown Hotel. As had become common place Peter Green’s Fleetwod Mac were supported by Duster at the Town Hall, Torquay on 26 July 1968. The following month he supported Jethro Tull at the Marquee, London on 23 August. A week later, on 30 August, he was performing support duties for Fleetwood Mac at the Bluesville ’68 Club held at The Manor House Tavern, Hackney. The following day he traveled up to Birmingham to headline, with Bakerloo Blues Line supporting, at Mothers. Bennett performed the day after too, with Geno Washington, John Mayall, Cliff Bennett, Jo Cocker, Jasper Stubbs, and The Passion Forest at the Bluesology Festival in the grounds of Chateau Impney, Droitwich. A few days later, on 5 September, he was at the Pied Bull, North London. Two days after that he is reported to have appeared at a Blues Concert at Conway Hall, London organized by The London Blues Society that included Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Free, Champion Jack Dupree, Dynaflow Blues, Ian Anderson and Elliot Jackson, and Bruno’s Blues Band. This was on 7 September ’68, a date the artwork for Duster’s first LP would contest, but more on that later. Duster headlined Mothers again on 14 September ’68, supported by Pegasus.
The next day the Bottleneck Blues Club held at The Railway Tavern, Stratford proudly presents Duster, and a short while later in the week he was back supporting Fleetwood Mac at Klooks Kleek, on the 17 September; although we also have an advert that put Duster at a return visit to Henry’s Blueshouse on the same day. At some point Green gifts Duster a Gibson 1952 Les Paul that held an illustrious history having been once owned by B.B. King and Muddy Waters, was gifted to Eric Clapton who’d then gave it to Green.
The Marquee has Duster supporting Fairport Convention the following day, the 18 September, and a visit to The Place, Hanley follows. The club had just reached 20,000 members that month and booked Duster to perform there on 22 September. Duster’s close relationship with Fleetwood Mac continued, seeing him support them again at Klooks Kleek, Railway Hotel, Hampstead on 24 September ’68. This was around the time Fleetwood Mac released “Mr Wonderful” on which Bennett played piano and harmonica. Newberry got Duster back to Godalming on 6 October for a performance at The Gin Mill Club in the hall behind The Angel. The midlands based Astra Agency went into the club business, opening Club Lafayette, Wolverhampton in September ’68 and they booked Bennett for the 25 October.
His first album was released towards the end of ’68. “Smiling Like I’m Happy” featured a number of tracks where Duster was backed by McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Green. The cover sleeve also featured a reproduction of a gig poster for his appearance at The Rectangle, Lichfield with Ground Hog Willis and the Rambling Jug Band in support on 7 September 1968; a date when he is also reported to have been booked to perform at a Blues Concert at Conway Hall, London. In October, Duster hinted at dropping the ‘one man blues band’ expository and starting his own band…but not for a least another year. Former John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers guitarist/bassist Geoff Krivit had formed the short-lived blues and boogie group Doctor K’s Blues Band in ’67, and Duster supported them at Toft’s, Folkstone on 23 November ’68. In reviewing “40 Minutes From Town” from the album in Melody Maker’s The New Blind Date column of 21 December ’68, Alvin Lee stated “He’s doing his own thing, but it’s a novelty thing. He’ll always be an added attraction.” Blue Horizon ensured he was included in their blues concerts, such as the one at Conway Hall, London on 7 December ’68, that also featured Bobby Parker Blues Band, Champion Jack Dupree, Chris Jones, Alexis Korner, Dave Kelly, Gordon Smith, T.S. McPhee and Mike Vernon. As part of the Folk, Blues Bristol & West Goes Electric series Duster visited Bristol on 15 December ’68 and played The Dug Out Club.
The New Year started on 6 January for Duster with two, 30 minute sets at the Shakedown Club, Peterborough, which sadly closed it’s doors in 2023. Then in ’69’ came the 12″ vinyl, NME described as “an album that restores faith in British blues…”, which was recorded live at the Gin Mill Club, Godalming on the 15th April ’69. The “Bright Lights…” LP, featured Sutton singing backing vocal, Green on bass, and Topham on lead guitar; Newberry was the MC. A trip up to London on 22 April ’69 had Duster opening for B.B. King, Fleetwood Mac, and Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee at the Royal Albert Hall. The following month, on 10 May, Duster appeared at Notts County Football Ground where he was on the bill for Nottingham’s Pop & Blues Festival with Fleetwood Mac, The Tremeloes, The Marmalade, Georgie Fame, Love Sculpture, The Move, Pink Floyd, Keef Hartley, Status Quo, Dream Police and Van Der Graaf Generator. The Camden Fringe Festival was a series of one day free concerts held under the auspices of the Camden Council. These were held at Parliament Hill and on 30 May ’69, Duster took to the stage amongst Fleetwood Mac, Taste, Group Therapy, Edgar Broughton Band, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, and Bridget St. John. On 30 June ’69, Duster supported Fleetwod Mac, along with The Pentangle, at the “Pop Proms” at The Royal Albert Hall, London. Later in the year “Justa Duster” was released.
He headlined the Blues portion of the Folk & Blues Festival, partly organized by Jerry Gilbert of Farnham Herald, then Melody Maker, at Farnham Park on 12 September ’69; that also featured Jo-Ann Kelly, Mike Raven, Gordon Smith, Ina Anderson, and the Andy Fernbach’s Connexion. The 7″ single “I’m Gonna Wind Up Ending Up Or I’m Gonna End Up Winding Up With You” on Blue Horizon [S 57-3164] was released in October 1969, the b-side carried “Rock Of Ages Cleft For Me”. 1969 also saw Duster’s “Jumping At Shadows”, from his debut LP, included on the ‘Super-Duper Blues’ compilation issued by Blue Horizon. This track was subsequently covered by Fleetwood Mac and revisited by Gary Moore in ’92.
On 23 Jan 1970 Duster played the first night, titled ‘Priory Street Blues’, of the Lancaster Arts Festival; receiving a rave review from a Record Mirror writer. This was also the year he signed manager Clifford Davis, resulting in a higher profile and appearances in the UK, USA, Europe and Australia. Starting on 1 May ’70, at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon, Duster, along with wife Sutton, undertook a 13 date tour with John Mayall as part of his band line-up.
The tour wrapped up at De Monfort Hall, Leicester on 17 May. Duster played Peterborough’s Town Hall on 24 July ’70, with Zoawada! in support. In August, supported by Blitzkreig, he played The Tooting Blues Club at The Castle on 5 August ’70 and The Star Hotel, Croydon on 14 August. 11 days later, Bennett played the Blues Benefit gig with Green, Dave Kelly, Burning Sunflower and Errol Dixon at the 100 Club, London on 25 August. Duster played high in the billing at the Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk Festival (the first Glastonbury), mounted by Michael Eavis, on 19 Sept ’70. That same year the “12dbs” LP was released. Duster Bennett’s version of the Ray Davis written “Act Nice & Gentle” was released in the UK on Blue Horizon [57-3179] in October 1970; the Dutch version receiving a picture sleeve. The B-side carried Duster’s own “I Want You To Love Me”. On 22 November ’70, Duster returned to The Gin Mill, Godalming.
The poster for the Autumn term entertainments at the University of Surrey, Guildford sees Duster listed as The Duster Bennett Band supporting Warm Dust, along with Swegas and Champion Jack Dupree on Saturday, 25 November ’71 in the Great Hall; however, that was a Thursday and other listings have Warm Dust and Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express playing there on the 27 November, without any mention of Duster. The 11 December ’71 edition of Melody Maker carried an advert, placed by The Student Union at the Technical College, Farnborough advertising two gigs. The second, on 17 December 1971, featured Duster, Warm Dust and Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express.
Duster headlined at Global Village, Charing Cross on 29 July ’73; supported by Bees Make Honey and Nicky James. In March ’75 he was part of the Levi’s Blues Australian Blues/Rock Festival Tour, taking in five cities in 10 days. Others on the tour inclded Freddie King and his Band, Alexis Korner, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Hound Dog Taylor and his Houserockers. The first four cities on the tour: Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, and Melboure then had a different set of ‘local’ supporting bands. The gig in the final city, Brisbane, was reportedly bereft of local talent. As time progressed he went more mainstream, with his last album, 1975’s “Fingertips”, influenced by soul, R&B and funk.
On 26 March ’76, Duster apparently fell asleep at the wheel while driving home after a gig with Memphis Slim in Burslem, Stoke on Trent. His Ford Transit collided with a lorry somewhere in Warwickshire and Duster Died at the scene.
In 1995 Indigo Recordings released “Out In The Blue” featuring 16 of Duster Bennett’s tracks recorded between ’66 and ’76 many with Green. In 2000 Indigo Recordings released “Duster Bennett – Shady Little Baby – Volume 3 Unreleased & Rare Recordings 1965 -1974” on CD [IGOCD 2126].
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