Looking for information on Les Paisley

Subject: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: GUEST,Bill McCloskey
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 10:12 AM

I'm looking for any information on folk singer Les Paisley. I knew Les when I was singing at the Bounds Green Folk club back in the 70's and we became close friends. I wrote a song about him at the time called Drunken Les Paisley.

I haven't heard anything from him in years and I was wondering if anyone knew if he was still alive and if he is still singing.

thank you.

Bill McCloskey

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 10:20 AM

I well remember Les on the London Club Scene back then - I have this very vague recollection that he is no longer with us >

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 10:59 AM

Thanks. Can anyone confirm and any information on when he might have passed?

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 11:05 AM

HE HAS DIED,difficult to remember, i would guess about 1995, he was living somewhere like Pinner, I Think, contact sheila finn at folk london.

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 11:05 AM

My meories of Les are vague, to put it mildly. I do though recall that he was a regular at the Singers Club when I lived in London. 1973-1975.

Also, he started a singaround in a pub somewhere in North London, can't remember the name of the pub or where it was located. I only remember it was in an upstairs room. That was probably late '74 or '75.

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 11:17 AM

That was probably the Bounds Green folk club. that is where I met him in the 70's. What a great friend and man he was. I'm sorry to hear he passed. the last I heard from him was 1998-99 so he must have died sometime around then, later than 1995.

I have a lot of recordings of him. when I left to go back to the states, they had a special session and we recorded everything. I have a great session and shanty sing that he led. I'll have to digitize it.

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 12:33 PM

try contacting sharps club at cecil sharp house , i am sure folk london had an obituary

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 03:00 PM

Strangely I was thinking about Les just a few weeks ago. I think the last time I saw him I met him by accident in Oxford Street and we had a wander around a few record shops together. I used to see him a lot in the London clubs in the 70s particularly. He also came down to the Ealing club when John Foreman was on (90s). The two spent the interval drinking together and when JF went back on in the second half he repeated the firt half!

I'm sorry to hear Les had gone.

Mick

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Apr 13 - 03:55 PM

i have a great story about LES, IN THE LATE EIGHTIES iwas living in Suffolk and les came down to visit a mutual friend called jeff johanneswho was also living in Stowmarket, still does as far as i know. well les decided he wanted to do a bit of fishing, so he and i went on a fishing trip. so itook him down to a place near where Bill Wyman[rolling stones lived] where i used to do a bit of poaching, i thought well if we have no luck with the fish, we might have abit of other luck, we had no luck with the fishing , but Imanged to get a nice hare, both jeff and les were mighty impressed, les made a fine hare curry, mighty food.

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: GUEST
Date: 08 May 13 - 01:07 PM

I have a lot of recordings of Les singing that were recorded at the Bounds Green folk club in the 70's. I'm about to go through the process of digitizing it and posting them.

Can anyone recommended anyone who would be interested in hosting these recordings? There are a number of other musicians playing as well who I could use some help identifing.

Subject: RE: Looking for information on Les Paisley
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 May 13 - 04:09 PM

yes, i might be able to help you in identifying singers and musicians, but someone who may be of more use in identifying could be kevin shields.