Ralph McTell

Ralph McTell

Ralph McTell is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player from Farnborough, United Kingdom, born in 1944. He is an influential figure on the UK folk scene and works across British folk rock, contemporary folk, folk and singer-songwriter styles. He also appears with The GP’s and records on Leola Music Ltd.

Career

McTell has been active on the UK folk circuit since the 1960s, with a long-running recording and performing career. He is best known for Streets of London, a song that has been covered by more than one hundred artists around the world. Another widely recognised song is From Clare to Here.

Style and influences

His guitar playing is shaped by early 20th-century American country blues and Piedmont-style players, including Blind Blake and Blind Willie McTell. He takes his surname from Blind Willie McTell.