Bob Davenport (born 31 May 1932) is an English traditional folk singer who has been a leading and influential voice in the

British folk revival The British folk revival incorporates a number of movements for the collection, preservation and performance of folk music in the United Kingdom and related territories and countries, which had origins as early as the 18th century. It is particul ...

since the early 1960s. Biography by James Christopher Monger, ''AllMusic.com''
Retrieved 30 August 2019

Biography

Bob Davenport was born in Gateshead, County Durham. At 10 months of age, he survived a

gas explosion A gas explosion is an explosion resulting from mixing a gas, typically from a gas leak, with air in the presence of an ignition source. In household accidents, the principal explosive gases are those used for heating or cooking purposes such as n ...

which destroyed his family home and killed his father Thomas, aged 23, and his grandfather. Tamzin Lewis, "Singer Bob Davenport revisits musical roots", ''The Journal'', 4 November 2010
Retrieved 30 August 2019 He grew up in a musical family – he is distantly related to George Ridley, the writer of "

Blaydon Races "Blaydon Races" ( Roud #3511) is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in a style deriving from music hall. It is frequently sung by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club, Newcastle Falcons rugby club, a ...

" – and began performing when an evacuee in the Second World War. After completing his

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

, he moved to London in 1953 to work for the General Post Office. "Bob Davenport", ''The Great Rock Bible''
Retrieved 30 August 2019 He also studied at

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's became part of ...

and worked for a publisher. He was encouraged by

Irish Traveller Irish Travellers ( ga, an lucht siúil, meaning "the walking people"), also known as Pavees or Mincéirs (Shelta: Mincéirí), are a traditionally peripatetic indigenous ethno-cultural group in Ireland.''Questioning Gypsy identity: ethnic na ...

singer Margaret Barry, and became a regular singer at the Bedford Arms in Camden Town and, later, local

folk club A folk club is a regular event, permanent venue, or section of a venue devoted to folk music and traditional music. Folk clubs were primarily an urban phenomenon of 1960s and 1970s Great Britain and Ireland, and vital to the second British folk r ...

s. He won awards as the best amateur folk singer in London, Reg Hall, Liner notes, ''Geordie Songs''
/ref> and recorded an EP, ''Geordie Songs'', in 1959, backed by Reg Hall (

melodeon Melodeon may refer to: * Melodeon (accordion), a type of button accordion *Melodeon (organ), a type of 19th-century reed organ *Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts), a concert hall in 19th-century Boston * Melodeon Records, a U.S. record label in the ...

) and Michael Plunkett (fiddle), known as the Rakes. Adding fiddle player Paul Gross, Davenport recorded a further EP, ''Wor Geordie'', with the Rakes for

Topic Records Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.M. Brocken, ...

in 1962. Both Davenport and Martin Carthy have been cited in several publications as early influences on

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

when he was performing in London folk clubs in the early 1960s. In 1963, as the result of an invitation from

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

, Davenport sang at the

Newport Folk Festival Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America, and remains a foca ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

, US, alongside Dylan and

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

. Dan Carrier, "Bob, the star of folk music (and his old pal, Mr Dylan)", ''Camden New Journal'', 7 February 2008
Retrieved 30 August 2019 He ran folk clubs in

north London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nor ...

, with a strong commitment to high quality traditional singing, and featured on several song collections released on record in the early and mid-1960s, including ''Sea Shanties'' (with Lou Killen and Redd Sullivan, 1963), ''Hootenanny in London'' (with Lou Killen, Alex Campbell, Martin Carthy and others, 1963), ''Northumbrian Minstrelsy'' (with Isla Cameron and Jack Armstrong, 1964), and ''Folksound of Britain'' (with

the Watersons The Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies. They have been called the "most famous fam ...

Cyril Tawney Cyril Tawney (12 October 1930 – 21 April 2005) was an English singer-songwriter and a proponent of the traditional songs of the West of England, as well as traditional and modern maritime songs. Biography and notable works Tawney was born in ...

and others, 1965). Bob Davenport Discography, ''MainlyNorfolk.info''
Retrieved 30 August 2019 In 1965, the Columbia label released the LP ''Bob Davenport and the Rakes'', produced by Peter Eden and

Geoff Stephens Geoffrey Stephens (1 October 1934 – 24 December 2020) was an English songwriter and record producer, most prolific in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s. He wrote a long series of hit records, often in conjunction with other British so ...

with all the songs arranged by Davenport. For Trailer Records in 1971, he made the album ''Bob Davenport and the Marsden Rattlers'', produced by

Bill Leader Bill Leader (born 26 December 1929) is an English recording engineer and record producer. He is particularly associated with the British folk music revival of the 1960s and 1970s, producing records by Paddy Tunney, Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, John ...

with an eight-piece traditional band from South Shields. The album was followed by ''Pal of My Cradle Days'' (1973). The Rakes also recorded a self-titled album without Davenport. In the mid-1970s Davenport recorded three albums for the Topic label, ''Down the Long Road'' (1975), ''Postcards Home'' (1977), and ''Bob Davenport and the Rakes'' (1977). As well as traditional songs, some with

trad jazz Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, played by musicians such as Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Ken Colyer and Monty Sunshine, based on a re ...

or morris band accompaniment, these albums contained several of Davenport's own songs, including "The Gypsy Poacher" and "Wild Wild Whiskey", which "tells the story of people away from their homes and their loved ones, trying to eke out a living in London and avoiding the pitfalls of drinking in the pubs around Camden Town." Davenport continued to perform in folk clubs and at festivals in the 1980s and 1990s, but less frequently than before. His recordings continued to appear on many compilations of English and British folk songs. In 1997, he returned with an unchanged line-up of the Rakes - Plunkett, Gross and Hall - to record the album ''The Red Haired Lad'', produced by

Mike Harding Mike Harding (born 23 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet, broadcaster and multi-instrumentalist. Harding has also been a photographer, traveller, filmmaker and playwright. Early life and education Harding's ...

. In 2004, he released ''The Common Stone'', an album dedicated to his father, and comprising mostly traditional folk songs recorded with musicians including Richard Thompson, Martin Carthy, the Watersons, and the band Chumbawamba. In 2010, he performed with

Kathryn Tickell Kathryn Tickell, OBE, DL (born 8 June 1967) is an English musician, noted for playing the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle. Music career Early life Kathryn Tickell was born in Walsall, then in Staffordshire, to parents who originated fro ...

at a concert in Gateshead.

Discography

* ''Geordie Songs'' (Collector Records, EP, 1959) * ''Wor Geordie'' (Topic, EP, 1962) * ''Northumbrian Minstrelsy'' (with Isla Cameron, Jack Armstrong, The Rakes) (Concert Hall, 1964) * ''Bob Davenport and the Rakes'' (Columbia, 1965) * ''Bob Davenport and the Marsden Rattlers'' (Trailer, 1971) * ''Pal of My Cradle Days'' (Trailer, 1973) * ''Down the Long Road'' (Topic, 1975) * ''Postcards Home'' (Topic, 1977) * ''Bob Davenport and the Rakes'' (Topic, 1977) * ''The Red Haired Lad'' (Fellside, 1997) * ''Send Your Best Men Forward'' (HOP Records, 2001) * ''The Common Stone'' (Topic, 2004)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davenport, Bob 1932 births Living people People from Gateshead Musicians from Tyne and Wear English male singers English folk singers