He is among 25 national and local blues artists to play at venues across the town as part of the three-day festival that starts on Friday, September 10.

Tim, a former Magnus School pupil, spent ten years performing in the Indie arena before returning to where it all started as an 18-year-old.

He said: “I started out playing the blues and decided I would go back to my roots.

“I called myself Wilson T. King in tribute to the greatest blues guitarists of all time such as BB King, Albert King and Freddie King.”

Tim, who now lives in Soho, Manhattan, supported the likes of Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, Keane and Brian May on tour with his bands Fin and Lukan. He has also recorded with violinist Nigel Kennedy.

He released his debut album — Follow Your First Mind — this year, with bass guitarist Martin Goodwin, of Newark, and drummer Wayne Proctor, of Ollerton.

It was mastered at the Abbey Road Studios and is available at iTunes and Amazon.

Tim said: “Performing at Abbey Road Studios was a great experience. I released it in February and the response has been absolutely amazing.

“I have been compared to Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, who I was heavily influenced by when growing up, so I am really pleased about that.”

The album has received rave reviews from Classic Rock, Blues Matters, Total Guitar and Guitar International USA magazines.

Tim said: “I have appeared in all the major blues magazines, just done an interview for Guitar Player — one of the top guitar magazines of all time — and have a tour lined up.

“Things are looking very good for me.”

Tim will tour Holland in November and the US in January — but first he returns to his home town.

He said: “I am really looking forward to performing at the blues festival and think the organisers have done a grand job.

“I cannot wait for people to hear my music and to catch up with all my friends.”

The festival has been organised by Joe Pointing, 17, his father, Darren Pointing, and grandfather Darrell Pointing, with event production company Liz Hobbs Group Ltd.

Four of the UK’s top blues bands are lined-up to play — Aynsley Lister, Sean Webster, Tipping Point and Virgil And The Accelerators.

They will perform at the showcase event, Blues At The Castle, on Saturday.

Artists and bands performing at The Navigation Waterfront include James Manners, Fat Chicken Blues Band, Pete Elkington, and Love Boat Captains.

At The Atrium are August James and Idle Hands Blues Bands, while at The Mayze are the Pete Donaldson Blues Band, Unusual Suspects, and The Triads.

Andrew Hall and Blues Train can be heard at The Castle Pub, while Booba Dust and Smokin’ Hogs will play at The Fox And Crown, and Jim Widdup and Simon Ark, and Moules And Wiggins will perform at The Prince Rupert.