After several years of intensive studies of Elvis' recordings, Al bought a cheap „campfire“ guitar and made himself aquainted with the rudimentary requirements of self-backing.

On October 17th 1964, Al Cook was ready to perform at a local variety show, but his appearance failed to impact, because his music was played before the wrong audience. Younger people had already  followed the upcoming advent of Beatlemania and Rock n Roll music simply turned obsolete.

Just at that time, the kick to another direction was given by listening to some odd tape recordings, containing vintage blues by black rural singers of the 20s and 30s.

From this day on, Al Cook was convinced, that this kind of music was the perfect vehicle to transcribe his feelings into song. The purity and primitive savageness of the country-blues seemed to take hold of the young man and he began to walk the rocky road of self-education.

There was neither anybody to teach him how to play and sing the blues, nor any educational material at local record stores.

When Al Cook purchased his first blues albums, he had to learn all that stuff by ear. Even the technique of the bottleneck and other slide guitar styles, then still unknown in the german-speaking countries had to be discovered by the aspiring bluesman.