Anthony Reynolds Needs a Roof Over His Head

Anthony Reynolds - one time leader of 90s next big things Jack, subsequently a solo artist (British Ballads, collaborations with Vashti Bunyan, the writer Colin Wilson etc) and author of various books - has been homeless since his landlord sold the flat he had lived in for over a decade.

The UK housing crisis and the stigma of being a 50 something self-employed musician/writer has made finding a new flat difficult. He's spent the last year sofa surfing, staying in b&bs, caravans and a friend of a friend's barn. He has been on the council waiting list for accommodation for years, but even homeless, the most they've been able to offer him is a possible bed in a notoriously violent and drug-ridden homeless hostel. His parents are elderly and have quite literally no space for him. He has absolutely run out of options and is in desperate need of a secure roof over his head.

The only option is to find a rented flat, ideally in Cardiff. To do this Anthony needs money for deposit and, given his lack of salaried work, he'll need to put down at least six months rent in advance. All references are in place, he just needs cash upfront.

He has no savings. Having released over 10 albums and several books, like many artists he has always lived project to project. Also, the dominance of music streaming and its notoriously pitiful royalty rate has shrunk any earnings from music and music publishing to a negilgible amount.

Brexit put the kibosh on his touring in Europe where he has a loyal audience. Anthony saw at least some of this coming and as of 2009 began writing books. His biographies of The Walker Brothers, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen and Japan have all been well received and translated into various languages. He has also moved into scoring music for films. But while the advances and subsequent royalties have kept him afloat, such income is erratic and he hasn't been able to amass any savings. He's currently working on a proposal for the next book, but such things take time and are never definite. At present he is living in B&Bs and the daily stress of finding money to pay for this is impacting on his health.

So I'm launching this appeal to help Anthony get his life back on track. The figure of 8k represents deposit and advance rent and includes the 3k he needs to pay Cardiff council for storing his belongings over this period. All help will be gratefully received