Born in 1955 in Washington, DC, Roach grew up as one of 13 children and first picked up the guitar only after leaving his teens behind. His skills advanced rapidly, and he channeled both his instrumental technique and vocals into traditional country blues, the form that best suited his creative impulses. In 1985 he encountered John Jackson and John Cephas, whose guidance and support proved instrumental; he also received tutelage from Archie Edwards and Turner Foddrell. Between the late 1980s and early 1990s he served as President of the DC Blues Society while co-founding the Federal City Blues Connection.
Although occasional live appearances in the United States have continued, Roach relocated to the UK in 1995. A European tour followed in 2000, highlighted by several duo engagements alongside Jackson, and in 2003 he joined the American Festival Of The Blues circuit across Britain. He has collaborated and occasionally recorded with Bernie Marsden; his regular supporting musicians, both onstage and in the studio, have included blues harpist Ian Briggs, keyboard player Danny McCormack, saxophonist Paul Corry, guitarist George ‘Jackie’ Lee, bass player Roger Inniss, drummer Sam Kelly and bones player Lenny Davies. Beyond performing, Roach has led clinics and workshops throughout the USA, the UK and further afield, delivering sessions at the Smithsonian Institute in his native city, Oxford University and the University of Metz. In 2003 he presented the three-part BBC Radio 4 series Deep Blue, and he continues to direct the European Blues Association Incorporating the Archive of African American Music, headquartered in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
