Tom (Thomas John) Lewis (born 1943) is a British singer and writer of nautical songs.
His most famous song, "The Last Shanty (A Sailor Ain't A Sailor)," has been recorded by over 30 different groups around the world.
Biography
Lewis was born in
Belfast, Northern Ireland and grew up in
Gloucester, England. He served in the
Royal Navy from 1959 until 1983, mostly in the (diesel) Submarine Service.
He developed his interest in
sea shanties while frequenting the Howff Folk Song Club of
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
, Scotland, in the 1960s, and began to perform at clubs and festivals in his off-time. On completing his naval service, he emigrated to
Salmo, British Columbia, Canada, "to be somewhere completely different to a large port city." In 1987, he began to record and to tour, due to popular demand.
Recordings
Lewis' first solo album, issued in 1987, was ''Surfacing'' and included two early favorites among his recordings, "The Last Shanty" and "Marching Inland." Those two songs later appeared on the compilation CD, ''A Taste of the Maritimes'' (1992), the former tune under the title "A Sailor Ain't a Sailor." In 1988 he recorded and toured with
William Pint and Felicia Dale. Currently much of his touring happens in the U.K and Europe, giving him more opportunities to perform with his Polish compatriots
QFTRY.
His albums have been favorably reviewed in ''
Dirty Linen'' magazine, ''
Living Tradition'' magazine and ''
Sing Out!'' magazine. (The latter calling his song "Radio Times" the "folk equivalent of '
American Pie.'") His songs have also been played on
The Midnight Special folk music radio show.
In 2000, he won the ''
Stan Hugill
Stanley James Hugill () (19 November 1906 – 13 May 1992) was a British folk music performer, artist and sea music historian, known as the "Last Working Shantyman" and described as the "20th century guardian of the tradition".
Biography
He wa ...
International Trophy'' when the competition was held in Douarnenez, France.
In 2008, he published his tunes and lyrics as ''Worth the Singin': the Tom Lewis Songbook''.
Since 2015 he has been Festival Patron of the Gloucester Shanty Festival.
Discography
*''Surfacing'' (1987)
*''Sea-Dog, See Dog!'' (1990)
*''Making Waves'' (1992), with
William Pint
William Pint and Felicia Dale (often billed as Pint & Dale) are folk musicians based in Seattle. Known primarily for nautical music and sea chanties, they are among the best-known performers in that genre in the United States."Singalongs and shi ...
and
Felicia Dale
*''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier,
Sailor Singer!'' (1995)
*''Mixed Cargo'' (1999)
*''Poles Apart'' (Polish Title: On, My Ocean) (2001) with a five-man shanty group from Poland (QFTRY). In English and Polish.
*''360° All Points of the Compass'' (2003)
*''The Song Goes On'' (2011) Poles Part Too with QFTRY
*''Demand Performance'' (2020) Double-CD: Seven (extended, 'live) stage performances, plus eleven new studio recordings.
References
External links
Tom Lewis' website.Borealis Recordings page for Tom Lewis
*"Seafaring Folk on Trio's Debut," by Mike Joyce. '' The Washington Post'', 19 June 1992, page WW16. (Favorable review of Tom Lewis, William Pint, and Felicia Dale album, ''Making Waves''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Tom
1943 births
Living people
Musicians from Belfast
Canadian folk singers
Canadian male singers
Canadian songwriters
Royal Navy sailors
Maritime music