I heard the sad news from one of my Warp & Weft colleagues while I was away on business and I was shattered.
I remember Johnny from the halcyon days of my youth at Capital Folk Club when he was singing with Jim. So glad they got back together.
More recently when we started up the folk club at The Pumphouse in Watford again, Johnny was a great friend and supporter of the club.We got to know the man as well as the singer - I will always remember his reaction when I said to the audience one night that he was the only folk singer I knew whose voice went up to 11!!( I say "folk singer" because his repertoire was much broader than the shanties he was best known for.)
A pleasure to hear him sing, a privelege to know him and a delight to talk with him.
Our thoughts are with Joyce and John's family and of course his dear friends at Herga.
Thanks Jim, for sharing the last moments.
Let's remember Johnny and his songs and keep singing them.Mick Ryan wrote a song for Cyril Tawney, called "The Song Goes On" which says:
"For the song goes on in the songs we sing,
And when one song ends then another song begins,
So the singers who are gone will be singing once again,
When we sing the songs they sang"
and I think we can do no better than hold that thought.
Johnny, you'll be sorely missed, but we're glad you're safe in harbour.
on behalf of Warp & Weft(Carrie,Pete,Kim,Martin & Helen), residents at Folk at THe Pumphouse,Watford.