Martin Simpson

Martin Simpson (b 1953) is an English guitarist.

He was born on 5 May 1953 in Scunthorpe, England. By the age of 12 he was playing guitar and banjo. The British folk singer, Access campaigner and radio presenter Mike Harding tells a story that when he was performing at a folk club in the Scunthorpe area in 1960s he was persuaded to let a "local kid" stand up and play the banjo, essentially humouring the boy, thinking he would be pretty useless. The kid then proceeded to blow the audience away with a mature and fully formed finger-picking banjo display, rather overshadowing the astonished Harding. The kid was, of course, Martin Simpson. In 1970 he dropped out of college to become a full-time professional musician, touring folk clubs. In 1976 he recorded his first solo album "Golden Vanity". In the same year he opened for Steeleye Span on their UK tour. Teaming up with June Tabor, a folk singer who didn't play an instrument, Martin toured folk clubs and appeared at festivals. They recorded three albums together, highlighting each other's complementary talents. There was a fluid jazzy feel about their approach to traditional material. In 1985 he married an American singer Jessica Radcliffe. Together they recorded "Truth Dare or Promise" (1987) and shortly afterwards relocated to America, living initially in Ithaca, New York.