Ewan MacColl

Ewan MacColl
Born
James Henry Miller

(1915-01-25)25 January 1915
Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England
Died22 October 1989(1989-10-22) (aged 74)
Brompton, London, England
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • folk song collector
  • labour activist
  • actor
Years active1930–1989
Political partyCommunist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)
Spouses
(m. 1934; div. 1949)
Jean Newlove
(m. 1949, divorced)
(m. 1977)
Children5, including Kirsty MacColl
Relatives

James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989),[1] better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was an English folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as one of the instigators of the 1960s folk revival as well as for writing such songs as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Dirty Old Town".[2]

MacColl collected hundreds of traditional folk songs,[3] including the version of "Scarborough Fair" later popularised by Simon & Garfunkel,[4][5] and released dozens of albums with A.L. Lloyd, Peggy Seeger and others, mostly of traditional folk songs.[6][2] He also wrote many left-wing political songs, remained a steadfast communist throughout his life and engaged in political activism.[2]

  1. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1552. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ a b c Spencer, Neil (25 January 2015). "Ewan MacColl: the godfather of folk who was adored – and feared". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Search: Ewan MacColl". Vaughan Williams Memorial Library.
  4. ^ "Sold on Song – Song Library – Scarborough Fair". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Scarborough Fair (Roud Folksong Index S160453)". The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Ewan MacColl". Discogs. Retrieved 14 November 2020.