Folk Singers/Musicians - published bios

Subject: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rich-joy
Date: 22 May 05 - 03:06 AM

Can we please have a list of books here (including publication details where possible) that covers Biographies of "folk" Singers and Musicians. Perhaps ALSO including a list of books that THEY have had published too.

I am particularly interested in British performers - but only because I know that quite a bit exists for the Americans - and that the other SEEMS to be harder come by ...

This request has come about because I have had no luck in trying to find a book on the life of A.L.Lloyd - surely the 25 years since his death, is long enough for someone to write one??? :~)))

Hoping 'Catters can help ...


Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rich-joy
Date: 22 May 05 - 04:22 AM

OK, there was something nibbling at the edge of my memory about Books on Mudcat - a search under "FAQ" produced the Perma Thread for suggestions for "A Basic Folk Library" :~)) (thanks, Joe!)


But I think my request still stands.


Cheers! R-J


PS   I could add a list of Artists about whom I have books, if anyone's interested ...

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: GUEST,wildlone
Date: 22 May 05 - 05:40 AM

Bob Copper wrote,

Bob Copper;
A Song For Every Season
1971
William Heinmann.

Bob Copper;
Early To Rise
1976
William Heinmann.

Also Songs And Southern Breezes.

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: GUEST
Date: 22 May 05 - 09:51 AM

Derek Brimstone has done his Autobiography , and of course there is the Packy Byrne book too !

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: GUEST
Date: 22 May 05 - 12:29 PM

For short biographies, there's a book called Music Hound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. A.L. Lloyd warrants a few pages, at least. Many other U.S. musicians are included. Folksingers and Folksongs in America also has nice biographies, but only of American performers.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 22 May 05 - 02:24 PM

Dave Arthur has been working, on and off, on a biography of Lloyd for quite a time. Whether he'll ever finish it we don't know, but some material from it appears in the insert for the cd Classic A L Lloyd: Traditional Songs (Fellside FECD98, 1994; still available) and in Ian Russell (ed), Singer, Song and Scholar; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1986. Out of print but well worth tracking down. It also includes contributions relating to Lloyd from Vic Gammon, Roy Palmer and Leslie Shepard.

See also David E Gregory's two papers from Canadian Journal for Traditional Music / Revue de musique folklorique canadienne. Both are available online.

A. L. Lloyd and the English Folk Song Revival, 1934-44
Starting Over: A. L. Lloyd and the Search for a New Folk Music, 1945-49

Some biographies and autobiographies that come to mind:

Ewan MacColl, Journeyman. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1990. ISBN 0283060360

Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, Till Doomsday in the Afternoon: The Folklore of a Family of Scots Travellers, the Stewarts of Blairgowrie. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986. ISBN 0719018471 (note: the Stewarts were unhappy about certain aspects of this book).

James Porter & Herschel Gower, Jeannie Robertson: Emergent Singer, Transformative Voice. East Linton (Edinburgh): Tuckwell Press, 1995. ISBN 1898410844

Betsy Whyte, The Yellow on the Broom, 1986. Reprinted Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2001, ISBN: 1841581356.
Betsy Whyte, Red Rowans and Wild Honey, 1990. Reprinted Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2000, ISBN: 1841580708.

Sheila Douglas, The Sang's the Thing: Voices from Lowland Scotland. Edinburgh: Polygon, 1992, ISBN 07486611900. Biographies of a number of traditional singers, with examples of their songs.
Sheila Douglas, Herd Laddie o' the Glen - Songs of a Border Shepherd (Willie Scott, Liddesdale shepherd and singer). Tryst Publications, 1988.

Reg Hall, I Never Played to Many Posh Dances - Scan Tester 1887-1972. Rochford, Musical Traditions, 1990. ISSN 02655063

See also the excellent booklets provided with the Musical Traditions series of cds of traditional singers. The full text of every booklet can be seen at their website.


There are more, of course; largely out of print. On the whole, there are more books devoted to Irish singers and musicians than to those from the countries of the UK; where Scotland seems to score highest. Academic journals such as Tocher and Folk Music Journal are also good sources.

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 22 May 05 - 11:12 PM

Christy Moore has written something which is autobiographical,
if not exactly an autobiography. It has the lyrics to a couple hundred
of his favorite songs, and for each song there's a page which talks
about the song, or how he & the song met, or some incident in
his life that has some bearing on the song - if you put it all together
you learn a lot about Moore's life, just not in the orderly way that
you would in an actual biography.

On the American side, I've read biographies of Leadbelly, Woody
Guthrie, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, and autobiographical works by
Judy Collins & Joan Baez.

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rich-joy
Date: 23 May 05 - 03:27 AM

Thanks, one and all (esp Malcolm!) - remember, if you have the actual titles and publishing details, that'd be great too : Internet searching is becoming a pain - too much crap out there :~)))



Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rumanci
Date: 23 May 05 - 05:01 AM

Here's a few more recent ones to add to your list :-D

SHIRLEY COLLINS

autobiography
AMERICA OVER THE WATER
(SAF Pub., 2004)   ISBN 0946719667 (HB)
(subject of a recent Mudcat thread)



RICHARD DIGANCE

autobiography
A WEALTH OF COMEDY
(Robson Books, 2003)



RALPH McTELL

STREETS OF LONDON
biography by Chris Hockenhull
(Northdown Pub., 1997)

two autobiographical volumes
ANGEL LAUGHTER - Volume 1
(Amber Waves - Heartland Pub., 2000)   ISBN 1902684028

covers his childhood up to the "purgatory" of leaving the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion of the Army at age fifteen

SUMMER LIGHTNING - Volume 2
(Amber Waves - Heartland Pub., 2002)   ISBN 1902684036

covers the next five and a half years and the start of his musical journey !




and three posthumous biographies


NICK DRAKE

NICK DRAKE : THE BIOGRAPHY
by Patrick Humphries
(Bloomsbury, 1998)    ISBN 0747535035   (PB)


VIV STANSHALL (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)
GINGER GEEZER : THE LIFE OF VIVIAN STANSHALL
by Lucian Randall and Chris Welch
(Fourth Estate - Harper Collins, 2002)   ISBN 1841156795



JIMI HENDRIX
JIMI HENDRIX : THE MAN, THE MAGIC, THE TRUTH
by Sharon Lawrence
(Sidgwick & Jackson, 2005)    ISBN 0283070056 (HB)
                               ISBN 0283070196 (PB)


All personally recommended and sparkling good reads apart from anything else !

rum

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rumanci
Date: 23 May 05 - 08:22 AM

Here's another half dozen gems gleaned from the home library !!

CHRISTY MOORE

(mentioned by GUEST,Gerry above in this thread)

ONE VOICE : MY LIFE IN SONG
(Hodder & Stoughton, 2003)    ISBN 0340830735



LIAM CLANCY

LIAM CLANCY : MEMOIRS OF AN IRISH TROUBADOUR
(Virgin Books, 2002)    ISBN 1852279486



SHANE MacGOWAN

A DRINK WITH SHANE MacGOWAN
by Victoria Mary Clarke & Shane MacGowan
(Pan Books, 2002)    ISBN 0330490087



THE CHIEFTAINS

THE CHIEFTAINS : THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY
by John Glatt
(St Martin's Press, 1997)    ISBN 0312166052



JIMMY NAIL

A NORTHERN SOUL : THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
(Penguin/Michael Joseph, 2004)    ISBN 0718146530



SANDY DENNY

NO MORE SAD REFRAINS : THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SANDY DENNY
by Clinton Heylin
(Helter Skelter Pub., 2000)    ISBN 1900924358



Shall I keep looking ?    *bg*
rum

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rich-joy
Date: 23 May 05 - 08:40 AM

Yes Please!
There's a surprising amount that I've not heard of, here in Oz (and I'm known as "a bit of" a bookaholic!!!)

And I'll try and submit the titles that I've got, sometime soon ...


Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 May 05 - 08:55 AM

Dazzling Stranger by Colin Harper is a biography of Bert Jansch combined with an account of the folk revival in the early 1960s which includes (as far as I can remember!) reasonably accurate vignettes of many of the main protaganists. When it was published around five years ago there was an accompanying Channel 4 documentary.

Then there is Colin Irwin's recently published In Search of Albion . . .

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: Scotus
Date: 23 May 05 - 09:03 AM

If my memory serves me 'Herd Laddie of the Glen' is by Alison McMorland and not Shiela Douglas.

Jack Beck

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 23 May 05 - 01:01 PM

Elijah Wald has written at least two great biogs

One of Josh White - absolutely and utterly brilliant - don't miss it.
He has also edited the reminisences of Dave Van Ronk

there is another book about Robert Johnson, by him.

there is a classic book about Django Rheinhrdt - by somebody whom I've forgotten, but which I felt was a little unsympatheic (Alain....?)

Alan Lomax wrote a great book called Mr Jelly Roll about jelly Roll Morton

Eddie Condon - great jazz rythm guitarist wrote a very enjoyable auto biography WE CALLED IT MUSIC - he knew everybody Bix, fats waller, etc.

julian Cope has written two autobiographies of what it was like to be in the thick of it in the early eighties music scene

Sam Charters book The Country Blues is a classic - but you need the record to go with it

shout of course - great inside book about the Beatles - Philip Norman

Lenny Bruce wrote an autobiography, which could have been great because he hung out with some great jazzmen - but was it Grossman - who wrote Ladies and Gentlemen I give you Lenny Bruce - it was my bible when I first started performing - tells you how much courage you need to be a showbiz footsoldier. the same guy wrote one about Elvis - but he had none of the same affection for him.

i thought the best one about Elvis was that one wrote by his four bodyguards just before the poor chap snuffed it.

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 23 May 05 - 04:04 PM

Folk Music- More Than A Song by Kristin Baggelaar and Donald Milton 1976 ISBN0-690-01159-8 it's now very old and very much about the US but it has 340 shortish biograghical entries and does include Ewan MacColl but not Lloyd

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: johnross
Date: 23 May 05 - 05:36 PM

"More Than a Song" was published in the UK under the somewhat misleading title of "The Folk Music Encyclopaedia" (Omnibus Press 1977).

Here are some others from my shelf:

How Can I Keep From Singing: Pete Seeger, by David King Dunaway
   (McGraw-Hill, 1981)

Lonesome Traveler: The Life of Lee Hays, by Doris Willens
   (Norton, 1988)

Charles Seeger: A Life in American Music, by Ann M. Pescatello
   (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1992)

Singing Family of the Cumberlands, by Jean Ritchie
   (Oxford University Press, 1955)

Cecil Sharp: His Life and Work, byu Maud Karpeles
   (University of Chicago Press, 1967)

Radio's 'Kentucky Mountain Boy' Bradley Kincaid, by Loyal Jones
   (Appalachian Center/Berea College, 1980

As Far As the Eye Can Sing, by Frankie Armstrong with Jenny Pearson
   (The Womens' Press, 1992

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: GUEST
Date: 23 May 05 - 05:40 PM

'Memoirs of a fat folk singer' by Hamish Imlash - a cracking good read, but alas I don't think it is still in print. Borrowed it from Manchester Library about 10 years ago. Also recall a fair Luke Kelly biog ,but can't remember who by, ' Bound for Glory' ..a must, ditto Mac Coll's 'Journeyman' and of course Dylan's memoir. I also remember having in my posession a Jimmy Shand biography which I bought from a library sale for about 20p, can't remember it being earth shattering though.

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: GUEST,wildlone
Date: 23 May 05 - 05:55 PM

R-J,
The info for the two books of Bob Copper I posted above is taken from the copies that I have got.
There is no ISBN No given.

Early To Rise, covers Bob's boyhood and family life in rural Rottingdean, Sussex between the wars. Also 25 songs and music notation taken from the Copper family song books.

A Song For Every Season, Is the a year in the life of a farmer and tells of the songs that would have been sung.
47 songs and music notation.

dave

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rich-joy
Date: 24 May 05 - 05:29 AM

I'm gonna try and paste my list of Folk, Jazz, Blues Singers & Musicians biogs here (it's originally from Excel, so I'm hoping it will behave!!!) Apologies for any that have already been mentioned above ...


ACKER BILK        
Acker Bilk - Gordon Williams - Mayfair Books, London, 1962
BILL WATKINS        
Scotland is Not for the Squeamish (Pt 2) - Bill Watkins        
Flamingo, Sydney, 2000-01
BILL WATKINS        
A Celtic Childhood (Pt 1) - Bill Watkins        
?
BILLY CONNOLLY        
The Big Yin : The Life & Times of Billy Connolly - Jonathan Margolis Orion, London, 1994
BING CROSBY        
The Story of Bing Crosby - Ted Crosby        
Forum (World Pub), Cleveland, 1937-1946
BOB COPPER        
Early to Rise : A Sussex Boyhood - Bob Copper        
Heinemann, London, 1976
BOB COPPER        
A Song for Every Season : 100 Years of a Sussex Farming Family -
Bob Copper        
Heinemann, London, 1971-73
CIARAN CARSON        
Last Night's Fun : In & Out of Time with Irish Music - Ciaran Carson North Point Press, New York, 1996-97
CLEO LAINE        
Cleo - Cleo Laine        
Simon & Schuster, London, 1994
COLE PORTER        
Cole Porter : the Definitive Biography - William McBrien HarperCollins, London, 1998-99
ELLA FITZGERALD        
First Lady of Song : Ella Fitzgerald for the Record -
Geoffrey Mark Fidelman        
Citadel Press, New York, 1994-96
ELLA FITZGERALD        
Ella Fitzgerald : 1917 - 1996 -        
Stuart Nicholson        
Indigo, London, 1993-96
FISK JUBILEE SINGERS        
Dark Midnight When I Rise : the story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers - Andrew Ward        
Amistad, New York, 2000-01
FRANK SINATRA        
Frank Sinatra -        Tony Scaduto        
Sphere Books, London, 1976-77
FRANK SINATRA        
Sinatra - Alan Frank        
Hamlyn, London, 1978
FRANKIE ARMSTRONG        
As Far As the Eye Can Sing : an autobiography -
Frankie Armstrong & Jenny Pearson        
Women's Press, London, 1992
GEORGE MELLY        Owning Up (Pt 3) - George Melly        
Futura, London, 1965-85
GEORGE MELLY        Rum, Bum and Concertina (Pt 2) -        
George Melly
Futura, London, 1977-78
GEORGE MELLY        Scouse Mouse, or, I Never Got Over It (Pt 1) -
George Melly        
Futura, London, 1984-85
HAMISH IMLACH        
Cod Liver Oil & Orange Juice : Reminiscences of a Folk Singer -
Hamish Imlach & Ewan McVicar        
Mainstream, Edinburgh, 1992
HENRY LAWSON        
A Stranger on the Darling -        
Robyn Burrows & Alan Barton        
Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1996
JIM DAVIDSON        
A Showman's Story : the Memoirs of Jim Davidson -        
Jim Davidson        
Rigby, Adelaide, Oz, 1983
JOAN BAEZ        
And a Voice to Sing With : Baez - Her Own Story -        
Joan Baez        
Arrow, London, 1989
JUDITH DURHAM        
Colours of My Life - Graham Simpson        
Random House, Sydney, 1994
K. D. LANG        
All You Get Is Me - Victoria Starr
HarperCollins, London, 1994
LOUIS ARMSTRONG        
My Life in New Orleans - Louis Armstrong        
Ace (Harborough), London, 1955-57
MEL TORME        
It Wasn't all Velvet : an autobiography        - Mel Torme
Robson, London, 1988-89
PADDY TUNNEY        
The Stone Fiddle : My Way to Traditional Song -        
Paddy Tunney        
Appletree Press, Belfast, 1979-91
PETA MATHIAS        
Burnt Barley : How to Eat, Dance & Sing Your Way Around Ireland -
Peta Mathias        
Vintage (Random House), Auckland, 2000
PETE SEEGER        
How Can I Keep From Singing : Pete Seeger -        
David King Dunaway         
Harrap, London, 1981-85
SLIM DUSTY        
Walk a Country Mile - Slim Dusty & John Lapsley
Rigby, Adelaide, Oz, 1979-84
SWEET HONEY in the ROCK        
We Who Believe in Freedom … Still on the Journey -         
Bernice Johnson Reagon & SH/R        
Anchor (Doubleday), New York, 1993
TED EGAN        
Sitdown Up North : an autobiography (Pt 2) -         
Ted Egan        
Kerr, Sydney, 1997
TED EGAN        
The Paperboy's War : an autobiography (Pt 1) -         
Ted Egan        
Kerr, Sydney, 1993
TED EGAN        
A Drop of Rough Ted (based on the Nomad Enterprises' film) -         
Ted Egan        
self, Sydney, 1979
THEODORE BIKEL        
… on loan …        ?        ?
WOODY GUTHRIE        
Bound for Glory - Woody Guthrie        
Picador (Pan), London, 1943-74
various        
Bandstand … and All That! - John Byrell        
Kangaroo Press, Sydney, 1995
various        
Bluegrass - Bob Artis        
Leisure Books, New York, 1975
various        
Blues : the British Connection - Bob Brunning        
Blandford Press, Dorset, 1986
various        
Buried Country : the Story of Aboriginal Country Music -
Clinton Walker
Pluto Press, Sydney, 2000
various        
Celtic Women in Music -        Maireid Sullivan        
Quarry Music, Ontario, 1999
various        
Folk Music Encyclopedia, The - Kristin Baggelaar & Donald Milton
Omnibus Press, London, 1976-77
various        
Hoot! : A 25 year History of the Greenwich Village Music Scene -
Robbie Woliver        
St Martin's Press, New York, 1986
various        
Illustrated Enc.of Jazz : an Indispensable A-Z of the Legends of Jazz, The - Brian Case/Stan Britt/Chrissie Murray        
Tiger Books, London, 1986-91
various        
Jazz Lives : 100 Portraits in Jazz - Gene Lees & John Reeves        
Firefly, New York, 1992-94
various        
Listener's Guide to Folk Music, The - Sarah Lifton        
Quarto Book, New York, 1983
various        
Meet Me at Jim & Andy's : Jazz Musicians & Their World -         
Gene Lees        
Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1988
various        
Memphis Blues & Jug Bands - Bengt Olsson        
Studio Vista (November Bks), London, 1970
various        
Music City of Babylon : Inside the World of Country Music -         
Scott Faragher        
Birch Lane Press, New York, 1992
various        
Observer's Book of Folk Song in Britain, The - Fred Woods
Frederick Warne, London, 1980
various        
Real Folk - John Meredith        
National Library, Canberra, 1995
various        
Singers & Sweethearts : the Women of County Music - Joan Dew
Country Music Mag Press, New York, 1977
various        
Singers & the Song - Gene Lees        
Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1987
various        
Singers & the Song II - Gene Lees        
Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1987-98
various        
Song by Song : the Lives & Work of 14 Great Lyric Writers -         
Caryl Brahms & Ned Sherrin        
Ross Anderson, Bolton, England, 1984
various        
The Songwriters        - Tony Staveacre        
BBC, London, 1980
various        
Turn it Up, I Can't Hear the Words : the Best of the New Singer/Songwriters - Bob Sarlin        
Coronet, London, 1973-75
various        
Verandah Music : Roots of Australian Tradition -         
Graham Seal & Rob Willis        
Curtin University Bks, Fremantle, Oz, 2003
various        
Wasn't That a Time! : First Hand Accounts of the Folk Music Revival - Ronald D. Cohen        
Scarecrow Press, New Jersey, 1995
various        
When the Music Stopped : the Big Band Era Remembered - Bernie Woods
Barricade Books, New York, 1994



hmmm ... gawdownleenose what this'll scan like ...
:~)

Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Folk Singers/Musicians - published bio's
From: rich-joy
Date: 24 May 05 - 05:34 AM

well, better than I expected ... phew!


Thank you VERY much everyone who has contributed so far (any more info on the missing Derek Brimstone / Christy Moore / Packie Byrne titles???)


Cheers! R-J