2010 festival – David Campbell, singer
Jan 27th, 2009 by admin
David performing recently at The Black Diamond Folk Club, Birmingham
David Campbell bears one of traditional music’s great names – but he carries it so lightly that you’d hardly know.
In fact, he’s the grandson of two legendary Aberdonian singers Dave & Betty Campbell who for decades were well known around the Midlands folk scene. In fact, Betty passed away just a few weeks ago on the 6th January.
He’s also the eldest son of the eminent songwriter, folksong revivalist and leading figure in the folk club movement, Ian Campbell, who formed The Ian Campbell Folk Group with his sister Lorna in the 1950s.
David has always avoided his family’s songs because they tend to be in Scots dialect; instead, he says he sings anything he fancies. His style is controlled and quite decorated, and I’d guess he has been influenced by some of the Irish singers he doubtless came to know in the Midlands in his youth. Watch out for his version of the Irish song The Factory Girl, which tends to be a signature song for him.
I should add that until recently he lived near Smarden for many years before leaving the area quite recently, and is well known in London through his involvement with Islington Folk Club over the past twenty years.
[...] also delighted to have David Campbell, an excellent singer who lived in Kent for many years, and also Vic Ellis, the outstanding one-man [...]