Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1940-2025)

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1940-2025)
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 21 Aug 25 - 04:43 PM

Funeral service
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmLRXngr8UQ

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1940-2025)
From: Helen
Date: 21 Jul 25 - 05:33 PM

I've been thinking about the song on the Bursting at the Seams album called Lady Fuschia. A few years after I first heard the album and then bought it I read the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake and Lady Fuschia was an interesting but tragic character in the first two novels. Now I keep hearing the song in my head and thinking about those strange books.

A Wikipedia article about the Gormenghast Trilogy mentions a BBC TV production about the trilogy and also refers to a song by The Cure:

"Fuchsia is also the subject of the song 'The Drowning Man' by English rock band The Cure, which is about her death and mentions her by name."

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1940-2025)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jul 25 - 05:19 PM

Year corrected. SPB, no need to share all of the FB tributes, but at the time that seemed all there was. Is there a published obituary anywhere that can be linked and/or pasted in here?

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 16 Jul 25 - 01:26 PM

@mods Dave Cousins was born in 1940 so he would have been 85 years old. His mother changed his surname to Cousins when he remarried in 1945.

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 16 Jul 25 - 10:36 AM

I'm sorry to hear this news. Dave Cousins has much to read and enjoy on the Internet so I'm not going to rehash it here. Suffice it to say he was a remarkable musician and singer and he will be sorely missed by his family and friends. He is, of course, added to the "In Memoriam" thread. RIP Dave. Thanks for the music.

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 15 Jul 25 - 06:11 AM

@SRS - there are now too many tributes in the FB group to copy and paste.

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 04:16 AM

I remember seeing the Strawberry Berry Boys way when in Scunthorpe RIP Dave
Banjoflower

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: Helen
Date: 13 Jul 25 - 07:32 PM

I'm just listening to the Bursting At the Seams album, which I haven't played for a while.

This track is amazingly beautiful and evocative. It is making me feel some deep emotions, especially when the orchestral music kicks in from about 4 mins on the track:

Strawbs - Down By The Sea (1973)

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Jul 25 - 03:56 PM

I remember Dave and the Strawberry Hill Boys from way back when. The only other player I can remember is Ron Chesterman bass player, who went on to play in Draught Porridge.
RIP Dave, your name brought back memories of times long past.

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: Helen
Date: 13 Jul 25 - 03:25 PM

This article on the Strawbsweb site by Edmund Burke, Vice-Chancellor Bangor University, with contributions from various sources has a very comprehensive coverage of David Cousins' work

DAVID JOSEPH COUSINS 1940-2025

The last paragraph is interesting from a musical perspective:

"David Cousins’ last concert with the Strawbs was at the Cropredy Festival in August 2023. His final concert performance came as a guest artist at a Rick Wakeman concert in Folkestone in late 2024. However, David’s final public performance was during a visit to Bangor University on March 21st 2025. In the early days of his career, in November 1964, he had performed at Bangor University with the Strawberry Hill Boys. Over 60 years later, he returned to give two lectures in the Music Department to an appreciative audience of students and staff. It was a wonderful day, with David generously sharing his wisdom, humour, experience and expertise. His first lecture was a practical, informative, amusing and pragmatic guide to making a living in the music industry. The second lecture explored David’s process for writing songs while he demonstrated some of the unique tunings that he had used over his long songwriting career. David performed excerpts from some of his songs to illustrate his technique. It was the last time that he was to perform his brilliant and haunting songs in public. A new generation of music students had a marvellous opportunity to learn from the master songwriter.

"However, he will perform no more. The final words should come from David himself, taken from his masterpiece solo album, Two Weeks Last Summer:

“'Sad it is, but that's the way it ends.'”

Subject: RE: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) (1945-2025)
From: Helen
Date: 13 Jul 25 - 03:10 PM

That's sad news. One of my all-time favourite albums which I have owned on vinyl since the mid-70's and then updated to CD is Bursting at the Seams by The Strawbs.

There are some articles about his death - here are the first two I found:

Strawbs founder, singer and guitarist Dave Cousins has died, aged 85

Dave Cousins, Strawbs singer and guitarist, dead at age 80

I'll be listening to the album today.

Ave et vale, Mr Cousins.

Subject: RE: 2025 Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs) UK
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jul 25 - 01:51 PM

SPB, that is a private Facebook group, so unless someone joins, there is no reading anything. Would you pull an expert or two to share with us?

Subject: Obit: David Cousins (Strawbs)
From: GUEST,SPB Cooperator
Date: 13 Jul 25 - 11:12 AM

Just read about the passing of David Cousin legendary leader, singer, songwriter whose talent transcended folk, rock, prog from origins in bluegrass to one of the UK's mist enduring performers and contributors to music. A career spanning so much and too much to write about fully here.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/125319430894924