Vin Garbutt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 The neutrality of the style of writing in this article is questioned. Please see the discussion on the talk page.(December 2007)
The quality of this article or section may be compromised by wording which promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information.
You can help Wikipedia by removing peacock terms or finding content which backs the claims.
Vin Garbutt
Birth name Vincent Paul Garbutt
Born November 20, 1947 (1947-11-20) (age 60)[1]
Origin South Bank, Middlesbrough
Genre(s) Folk music

Vin Garbutt (born Vincent Paul Garbutt, 20 November 1947, in South Bank, Middlesbrough), though second generation Irish, is an English folk singer and songwriter. A significant part of his repertoire consists of protest songs covering topics such as "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland (Troubles of Erin), unemployment, and abortion.

Contents

[edit] Roots

He was born in South Bank, Middlesbrough, the son of an English father and an Irish mother[2]. He discovered folk music while he was still at school, and became a regular visitor and performer at The Rifle Club in Cannon Street, Middlesbrough. After leaving school he was encouraged to become an apprentice at the ICI Wilton chemical plant.[2] During this period he set off regularly to Ireland in search of his musical roots. At the age of 21, he threw caution to the winds and became a professional musician. Armed with the rich repertoire of songs he had amassed, he spent the first summer busking his way around the bars of Spain's Mediterranean coast, and on to Morocco via Gibraltar. It was then that he found he had a talent for songwriting.

Back in England in 1972 he recorded his first album for Bill Leader - The Valley Of Tees. This firmly established him as a singer and songwriter of fine socially conscious, and environmentally aware songs.

[edit] 30 years as a professional performer

During 1999 Garbutt celebrated his 30th year as a professional performer. He spent the early part of the year on a world tour, playing extensively in the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. As soon as he got back to England he set off on his “Take It Easy After 30 Years On The Road” tour. To coincide with the tour he released his “Word Of Mouth” CD, playing up and down Britain to packed theatres.

During 2001 Garbutt published the first collection of his songs. “The Vin Garbutt Songbook”. The collection spans his career from ‘The Valley Of Tees’ written in 1971 to ‘The Troubles Of Erin’ written in 1999. Shortly after ‘The Vin Garbutt Songbook’ CD was issued, Garbutt's first ever compilation CD. 2004 saw him take on another world tour. A health check highlighted a minor health problem but in early 2005 whilst on a sabbatical trip to Spain Garbutt's condition deteriorated. On his return he was hospitalised and a repair made to one of his heart valves. He has since made a full recovery and is back on the road. In his recuperation period he worked on his album ‘Persona…Grata which was launched at The Sage, Gateshead on October 6, 2005.

[edit] Awards

In 2000, he was asked to present the "Best Folk Club" award, at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.[2] In 2001 he won the "Best Live Act” award,[2] and was also nominated for "Folk Singer of the Year"[2] (with the award going to Norma Waterson). Later that year, he was awarded an Honorary Degree of Master of Arts by the University of Teesside.[3]. In 2007 he was nominated for "Best Live Act" again at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards[4], with the award going to Bellowhead[5].

[edit] Discography

  • Valley of Tees (1972)
  • The Young Tin Whistle Pest (live) (1974)
  • King Gooden (1976)
  • Eston California (1977)
  • Tossin' a Wobbler (1978)
  • Little Innocents (1983)
  • Shy Tot Pommy (1985)
  • When The Tide Turns (1989)
  • The Bypass Syndrome (1991)
  • Bandalised (1994)
  • Plugged! (live) (1996)
  • When The Tide Turns Again (1998) [reissue of 1989 album with one additional track]
  • Word Of Mouth (1999)
  • The Vin Garbutt Songbook Vol.1 (2003)
  • Persona…Grata (2005)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Vin Garbutt - gallery. Official Vin Garbutt website. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e Vin Garbutt - biography. Official Vin Garbutt website. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  3. ^ Academic Awards from the University of Teesside. University of Teesside (2001-11-23). Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
  4. ^ Radio 2 Folk Awards 2007 - Nominations for 2007. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
  5. ^ Radio 2 Folk Awards 2007 - Winners 2007. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Garbutt, Vin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Garbutt, Vincent Paul
SHORT DESCRIPTION English folk musician
DATE OF BIRTH November 20, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH South Bank, Middlesbrough
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH