'I love my city. Here's my music tribute to its rich past' - singer songwriter's new number
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He has praised Wearside’s rich history and has created a number called Sunderland Music City, after explaining his own strong links to industry.


Supporting the city he loves
‘My dad was a coal miner and I spent my life working in heavy engineering,’ said Derek who is a former piping engineer.
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Hide AdThe 71-year-old told the Sunderland Echo: “A couple of weeks ago Sunderland Music City messaged me and asked what I had planned musically for 2025.
“I told them I was releasing a new Valentines video then I thought why not get into the spirit and support the City I love.


‘We have some great music venues in Sunderland’
“I’ve put together this music video supporting our North East culture and music. We have some great music venues in Sunderland as can be seen in this video.”


Derek worked in the nuclear industry at Plymouth, Sellafield, and Dounreay for more than 20 years.
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Hide AdHe began travelling the country to work when music couldn’t provide him with a living to support his family.
He has had a lifelong interest in music. His YouTube page has 800,000 views and his songs are played by hundreds of stations across Europe.
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