BOBBIE KORNER INTERVIEW WITH BOB HARRIS EPISODE ONE

EPISODE ONE
Originally recorded Friday, 19 August 2016

Bob Harris interviews Bobbie Korner, the wife of musician Alexis Korner.

Bobbie Korner (born Roberta Melville) was an important but often overlooked figure in the development of the British blues movement. Best known as the wife and lifelong partner of pioneering blues musician Alexis Korner, she played a significant behind-the-scenes role in supporting both her husband and the community of musicians who helped shape British rhythm and blues during the 1950s and 1960s.

Bobbie married Alexis in 1950. The couple established a warm and welcoming household in London that became an informal gathering place for musicians, journalists and visiting American blues artists. Their home was renowned for its hospitality, providing accommodation, meals and encouragement to countless young performers who would later become major figures in British rock and blues. Among those who benefited from the Korner family’s generosity were aspiring musicians seeking opportunities through Alexis’s expanding network. Contemporary accounts also credit Bobbie with encouraging Alexis’s early musical development, even helping him master guitar techniques during the formative years of his career.

The Korners had three children: singer Sappho Korner, guitarist Nicholas (“Nico”) Korner, and sound engineer Damian Korner. Family life remained central despite Alexis’s demanding recording, touring and broadcasting career, and Bobbie was widely regarded as the stabilising influence that enabled him to pursue his musical ambitions.

Following Alexis Korner’s death from lung cancer in 1984, Bobbie continued to safeguard his legacy. She worked with record companies, writers and archivists to preserve his recordings and ensure that his contribution to British blues was properly recognised. She was thanked in the notes accompanying some of his posthumous releases for her assistance and support.

Although she rarely sought the spotlight herself, Bobbie Korner’s influence extended far beyond that of a musician’s spouse. Through her unwavering support, generosity and commitment to the British blues community, she helped create an environment in which one of Britain’s most influential musical movements could flourish, leaving a lasting legacy alongside that of Alexis Korner.