The folk scene in the UK is mourning the sad loss of one of its heroes, the magnificent singer and songwriter Mike Waterson, who grew up and lived as a young man in Hull, a major fishing port by the Humber.
This video shows how one sick, elderly man could use the quiet truth of a song to hold a large audience spellbound. Bravo for a brave performance Mike!
Look out for another classic of his, Three Day Millionaire, if you can – it’s not on YouTube but it describes the life and ambitions of a young lad in the fishing trade honestly and with humour and deserves to be sung widely. There’s a brief preview at this download site.
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Watersons/_/Three+Day+Millionaire
The Guardian newspaper marked his passing with both an obituary and a personal memoir. Not bad for a man who worked in the building trade for most of his life.
He will be very much missed.