Roy Bailey began life as a cash register salesman and worked his way downwards. He gave his MBE back as you say. Like most people who accept theses baubles, Martin Carthy, Aly Bain, Shirley Collins, Norma Waterson to name a few, I understand they tend to do it so the music gets recognition and not for themselves.

Being a professor of social studies does not make him a sociology lecturer (which as far as I know he never was). However you are clearly not one to let the facts spoil a good story.