On Thursday 14th March 2019 our dear friend sadly lost his battle with cancer.
Since then there have been hundreds of tributes paid on social media and by e-mails by friends, musicians, radio hosts, agents, PR people, journalists, record companies, blues fans, just about anybody who loved Dave.
Everybody who knew Dave, whether digitally or personally, will miss him, his great joie de vivre, his positivity, his friendship.
On his website Dave described himself as a "Sometime DJ, film maker, boat safety examiner & gadget freak" (with a weakness for good food & wine)
Our thoughts are with his wife Suellen and his family to whom we send our condolences.
His legacy is his huge catalogue of podcasts and our happy memories of great times with him.
We invite you to leave a tribute here and/or leave a story or tell us about a particular event involving Dave on the Stories page.
Rest in peace dear friend.
Tributes
Leave a tributenow two years on...
Where do the great ones go
when they’re gone?
I'll miss him greatly.
Paul Haines
I was really saddened today when I heard he’d lost his battle with cancer, he will be sorely missed. It may be a bit late but my thoughts are with his family.
RIP Dave and deepest commiserations to your family.
Love to his family and friends,
Lauren and Mark.
Difficult to say goodbye to you. I can just say thank you for our conversations, friendship, passion and more together.
Thank you to the life which has permit that we meet us. I will miss you my friend.
Have a good travel, RIP dear Dave
Silvio
We are off to the Azores shortly for this year's EBC and Dave will be missed, but we shall raise a glass of red to him in his absence.
Dave and I were first in contact around 2006 -- he had his podcast which I listened to and I had a radio show. I was in a university on student radio so Dave assumed I was a student, but he did a search of the university web-site and discovered I was staff. He 'outed' me on his show by saying "this one is for the professor"!
He mentioned me several times on his show and I always felt pride to be on his radar -- the praise he heaped on me after my first interview with Watermelon Slim was amazing, especially from a professional like Dave.
In recent years we would joke about a contest to clock up the most hospital hours -- sadly that was one he won. He would send mp3s instead of emails and little videos to explain the niceties of the software we both used. I'm still using the three main pieces of software he recommended when he steered me through the transition from radio to podcast.
What can I say? Gone but never forgotten!
I get the feeling that Dave was naturally warm-hearted and open with everyone who crossed his path. He was a fantastic broadcaster and entertainer and so very giving with his time and musical knowledge. And most of all, he was fun. I will always think of him with a smile on his face.
We will miss you Dave. Thank you for everything. RiP xx
He was part of my team on the Blues and Soul Show, contributing some words of wisdom and a track of his choosing in the middle of every show.
As well as being a fixture at our Hebden Bridge Blues Festival, we also met often at other events where we would dissect both the good and bad on offer, as well as discussing our personal but differing methods of producing radio shows.
Dave was someone I often turned to for a second opinion on matters of Blues politics, his judgement coming to me as refined wisdom, validating or refuting a proposed course of action.
So long Dave, until we meet again, feasting and drinking with the other fallen Bluesmen and Blueswomen in the halls of the Valhalla Blues Festival, rest in peace my friend.
It's difficult to express all the sadness I feel with your loss... You were more than a Friend, you were a Partner I was always happy to meet wherever the Blues was leading our feets...
I will never forget the great moments we spent together in UK and at the Board of European Blues Union... You were always positive, optimist, realistic and your words were always guiding us on the right way!
And I will never forget the nice text you accept wrote for our book, even if you were already ill and tired when you did it.
Rest in Peace my Friend, we will miss you but we will never forget you.
Dove & Boweevil x
We became dear friends so much so that you were the only one outside my family that I sent a video message from Mexico to on my wedding day recently. You were so brave as you tried to fight Cancer to stay with us a little longer, you tried to send your shows out, you kept supporting those of us trying to keep the blues alive. You were the stuff legends are made off. There was only one Dave Raven and your contribution was so massive that I personally think there should be a statue of you on that Island you loved so much but I know the UK Blues Federation will make sure the world remembers you forever.
I loved you dearly and I pray that your family get through this pain & loss, we are all sending them strength. See you in Blues Heaven Kaz Hawkins xx
God speed
RIP Dave
Dave came to my very first London show and invited us to Taggs Island for a session...and that support and hospitality was repeated many times since. A true friend and champion.
Dave was a good friend and a huge influence on me as a broadcaster. In 2006, when I was producing Paul Jones's Radio 2 programme I found his podcast, which was a new way of doing radio that Dave embraced with huge success - and I have listened to every show ever since. He showed me that you could do a radio show not for mass consumption, but very targeted at a music-loving audience who were keen to hear new music, and how you could have a close interaction with that audience online and personally.
He always had time to talk and he had a fascinating life in broadcasting - from being a DJ in Newcastle, to BFBS, to being an internet radio and podcast pioneer, as well as a blues music lover. I did sessions for his show on the houseboat with Catfish and The Riotous Brothers, and did many interviews with him - well, not interviews as it was never a list of questions, but a conversation that flowed - something else I learned from him: your second question depends on the answer to your first question.
He'll be missed by all of his fellow broadcasters, not only for his show, but for his work with the IBBA and UK Blues Federation, and also by his listeners around the world and musicians in the blues family. We all owe him a debt of gratitude.
Blues was in his blood. Love and Peace to Suellen at this time.
His knowledge of blues was incredible and we brought many of our acts to his house boat for sessions and interviews.
Joe Bonamassa will certainly never forget the hot sunny day driving through London crammed in a Black cab with his band & tour management, down onto the house boat in Hampton Court.
Dave interviewed Walter Trout and gave him a ride in his small boat up the Thames, before carrying out session. We will really miss him.
Sue & Dave Williams
from all of the Big Wolf Band
We stayed in touch as he was always a font of information and an inspiration. He was simply the real deal.
Thank you for all you did for independent artist as well as blues music! You will be missed.
Rest in peace Dave.
Ian
In my eyes, Dave was the living version of Clive Cussler's character Dirk Pitt. Dave loved travelling, messing about in boats, he liked a drink or two and loved his gadgets. He could set up a radio studio anywhere be it on the streets of Colne, on his boat or travelling around Europe in his motor home.
Dave was the reason that I started to make radio shows. I used to listen to his podcast and this developed my love for the Blues even more and Dave always had a relaxing, interesting voice. When I did start making my shows Dave was always there for me to help with anything. He told me to play what I enjoy playing and not to rely on listeners sending in requests and he was always there with information on software, mics etc.
Blues radio will never be the same without Dave.
RIP Dave Raven. May your love and character live on through the various radio shows throughout the world hosted by your fellow IBBA and EBU members.
Allison Kimber.
Ashwyn
Leave a Tribute
now two years on...
Where do the great ones go
when they’re gone?
Barely two weeks before he left us, I found a missed call on my mobile and on listening to my voicemail discovered that it was Dave.
He had been listening to the latest edition of Digital Blues and felt that I sounded rather down so he was ringing to make sure that I was OK and that nothing was wrong. He went on to say that if I wanted to have a chat to give him a call.
No matter that he was very seriously ill, even then he was caring and thinking about others.
He went on to make my day by saying how much he had enjoyed a particular segment of tracks that I had put together in the show.
When Dave paid you a compliment like that you felt like a million dollars!
Thank you my friend.