Shelagh McDonald

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Shelagh McDonald (born 1948) is a Scottish folk singer, lyricist and guitarist who released two albums before her abrupt and mysterious disappearance in 1971.[1] On her albums, she was backed up by many notables within the English folk-rock scene, including Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, Danny Thompson, Keith Christmas, the Fotheringay rhythm section, as well as members of Mighty Baby.

In November 2005, after stories circulated worldwide about her disappearance and cult interest in her music, McDonald turned up in the offices of the Scottish Daily Mail and told them her story. She retreated from public life after a bad LSD trip left her paranoid and hallucinating, with a ruined voice. Living with her parents and working privately in Edinburgh, she met and married bookseller Gordon Farquhar; together, they lived a nomadic lifestyle in north Britain, living on welfare benefits and moving from house to house, and later tent to tent.[1]

As of 2005, McDonald says her voice has improved and she is again interested in music, and the renewed interest in her work by the public surprised and gratified her.[1] Since then, however, nothing more has been heard of her.

[edit] Discography

  • Album - B&C Records, 1970
  • Stargazer - B&C Records, 1971

These albums, along with various outtakes, live recordings, and the song "Rainy Night Blues" (this last originally released on a sampler called Club Folk, Volume 2, Peg Records PS3, 1972) have been re-released on CD as Let No Man Steal Your Thyme (The Shelagh McDonald Collection), Castle Music, 2005.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Grace Macaskill, "Back From the Wilderness", Scottish Daily Mail, 19 November 2005. Reproduced online at http://www.btinternet.com/~blackvelvet/, accessed 25 October 2006.

[edit] External links


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