Singers starting out are influenced by who they hear. When I first heard Shirley sing, it reminded me of children singing at primary school. I was already singing in my secondary school choir, and was probably most influenced by Sandy Denny. I also admired June Tabor and Chris Coe, and was thinking however hard I tried I'd never sound like either of them, so probably shouldn't try.

The best compliment I ever got paid about my singing was that it calmed an autistic child. But if you do a Google search on Kitty Vernon you'll find the Living Tradition review that says I'm not a folksinger.