Simon is a very experienced guitarist who is equally at home playing background music for weddings or accompanying artists such as Maria Ewing, the acclaimed operatic soprano, in concert.

He attended Leeds College of Music and Trinity College of Music, where he studied guitar and composition.
In 1981 he attended the first Master Class in Flamenco to be given by Paco Peña in Cordoba, and this traditional performing art from Spain has become a very strong influence in his career, as his wife is Spanish and he is a fluent speaker.
As a performer he made his debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1978, under the auspices of Trinity College of Music, his first appearance at the Purcell Room took place in 1983 and his solo debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1985. He founded the band Acoustic Alchemy along with Nick Webb, the band signed to MCA in 1986 and then recorded with GRP, he made his first Ronnie Scott's appearance with them in 1983.

Recordings date back to 1980 with Acoustic Alchemy, whose world wide total album sales now exceed one million, and solo albums from 1983 onwards. In 1998 along with his present duo partner Shane Hill he created the Latin jazz band Kymaera which has now released five albums. Among these ‘Into The Rainbow’ dedicated to Nick Webb and featuring the renowned opera singer Maria Ewing as their guest artist.