One of the most influential fiddlers of the British folk revival, Dave Swarbrick, best known for his tenure in Fairport Convention, died June 3, 2016, at age 75 following a long struggle with emphysema. He joined Fairport in 1969 and was the first folk fiddler in the U.K. to plug in his violin.
A central element as a songwriter and player in the band’s landmark ’69 Liege & Lief album, he became the band de facto linchpin from 1970 onward following the departures of Ashley Hutchings, Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. He played viola, mandolin and mandola and guitar in addition to violin and singing. “Swarb,” as he was known, worked with Fairport until the band broke up in 1979, and also performed and recorded with Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Al Stewart, Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy and others. He rejoined the original Fairport members in 2007 to perform Liege & Lief at the revived Fairport’s annual Cropredy Convention.
Swarbrick was born in New Malden, then just outside London, on April 5, 1941, and primarily grew up in Birmingham. He started performing and recording professionally in 1960 with the Ian Campbell Folk Group. He also worked with seminal U.K. folk figures A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger during the 1960s, and in 1965 began a long and fruitful collaboration with Carthy.
Swarbrick contended with hearing problems from the 1970s on, and emphysema affected his health for decades. He was given three tracheotomies and received a double lung transplant in 2004. While in the hospital in 1999, the Daily Telegraph mistakenly published his obituary. He later relished signing copies of the obit at his next public appearance for fans, writing: “It’s not the first time I’ve died in Coventry.”
“He was such an incredible musician, and a lovely man,” said singer Linda Thompson.
Swarbrick was the second member of the Fairport Convention family to pass in 2016.
Related: Pete Zorn, known for his work with Fairport Convention, passes
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1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationSad to learn of his poor health and passing, news to me, thought possibly he was still alive….he was a great musician, and so appreciated his humor and joy of life, loved FC then and still today…what talented folks who came together to play and sing and entertain and raise spirits and represent and present a great folk tradition…he will live on thru his/their music…so glad and thankful to be young when they ‘showed up’ and to love this music for so many years, and still do so, and still listen!