The Ballad Of Shirley Collins May 2026

She has since continued to record and perform, releasing further albums such as Heart's Ease and Archangel Hill , cementing her status as the "first lady" of English folk. The Ballad of Shirley Collins (2017) - IMDb

: In 1964, she recorded the landmark album Folk Roots, New Routes with guitarist Davey Graham, which is credited with setting the template for the folk-rock movement. The Ballad of Shirley Collins

Born in Hastings, East Sussex, in 1935, Shirley Collins grew up in a family deeply rooted in traditional English song. In 1954, she met famed American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in London and eventually became his lover and research assistant. She has since continued to record and perform,

After decades of silence, Collins was coaxed back into the studio by friends and fellow musicians like David Tibet of Current 93. In 1954, she met famed American ethnomusicologist Alan

: The trauma was exacerbated when her husband's new partner began attending her shows, sometimes even wearing his clothes while standing in the front row.

: She later founded this band with her second husband, Ashley Hutchings, further pushing the boundaries of traditional music. The Loss of Her Voice

Returning to Britain, Collins became a cornerstone of the 1960s folk revival: