Steve Ashley

Steve Ashley is an English folk singer and songwriter from London, born in 1946. He begins performing traditional songs in the folk clubs of west London in 1961 and later plays an important part in British folk-rock through a series of groups and collaborations.

Career

In 1964 he moves to Maidstone to study graphic design, and there he helps Peter Bellamy establish the Maidstone Folk Club. He also sings and plays harmonica in the art college blues band the Tea Set. After returning to London in September 1967, he forms a duo with guitarist Dave Menday called Tinderbox.

In April 1972 he joins the first touring Albion Country Band, also known as Albion Mk 1. The line-up includes Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks, Royston Wood and Sue Draheim. Ashley then forms his own band Ragged Robin in January 1973 with Richard Byers, Brian Diprose and John Thompson. In 1978 the Steve Ashley Band is formed for an appearance at the Rotterdam Folk Festival.

He later works in a duo with fiddle player Chris Leslie, performing together through the following decade. He also appears occasionally with members of Fairport Convention.

Recording and live work

Ashley retires from live performance and recording in 1992, but in 1995 he composes and records the instrumental music for a second documentary by Roger Deakin about horse racing, called Stable Lads. He returns to live performance in 1999, joining Fairport Convention on stage at Banbury Arts Centre and again during their Saturday night Cropredy Festival performance, where he sings “Fire and Wine”.

He later resumes club and arts-centre performances with Al Fenn, formerly of Decameron and Magna Carta. At Cropredy in 2001 he makes his fifth appearance at Fairport’s annual festival. A special Steve Ashley and Friends line-up, including Chris Leslie, Maartin Allcock and Al Fenn, performs songs from Stroll On, The Family Album and Everyday Lives.

In February 2009 he marks 40 years of recording with a headline concert at Cheltenham Folk Festival, accompanied by Robert Kirby conducting Staccato Strings in selections from his string arrangements. Dave Menday, Richard Byers and Al Fenn also take part.

Style

Ashley is described as a performer whose voice ranges from great power to great tenderness. His work is associated with folk-influenced social commentary, and he is regarded as a significant figure in the development of British folk-rock.