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Alex Campbell (27 April 1925 – 3 January 1987) was a Scottish folk singer. Described by Colin Harper as a "melancholic, hard-travelling Glaswegian", he was influential in the British folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and was one of the first folk singers (in modern times) to tour the UK and Europe. His nickname was "Big Daddy". ==Biography== Campbell was born in Glasgow to a family who originated from the Hebrides. Both his parents, and his two sisters, died from tuberculosis in the same year, and Campbell spent some time in an orphanage, before being taken in by his grandmother. During World War II he met American, Polish and Australian servicemen who were based in Glasgow and he developed an interest in the songs they sang. On leaving school, he worked for the Civil Service and had a successful career until an occasion when he lost his temper and had to leave. With the savings from his employment, he enrolled for a course at the Sorbonne, in Paris (apparently on a whim). However, he quickly ran out of money and began busking in the streets to support himself, playing the guitar and singing Lead Belly songs and Scottish folk songs.〔Harper p.99〕 Some sources claim that he pretended to be a blind blues singer: a white stick enhanced the disguise.〔(Ewan McVicar writing for ''The Living Tradition'' )〕 He met the American folk musician Derroll Adams who found him a regular engagement, playing in a café, but Campbell also continued busking the streets. He made regular return trips to Britain in the 1950s, appearing at Alexis Korner's Blues and Barrelhouse Club and other skiffle and folk music venues that were opening around the country. Back in Paris, a new generation of folk musicians, such as Davey Graham and Wizz Jones followed in his footsteps. Campbell became involved in the folk music revival taking place in London and met Ewan MacColl, who was an influential figure in the folk movement. However, the two men disagreed on their approaches to folk music, with MacColl taking a very purist view that people should only sing music from their own regional background, whereas Campbell had an eclectic repertoire and sang whatever he liked, whether it was a Scottish Ballad, an English folksong or an American work song. A contemporary article in ''The Observer'' attempted to characterise the folk community into two camps: the "MacCollites" and the "Campbellites".〔Harper p.100〕 MacColl (then married to Jean Newlove) had fallen in love with Peggy Seeger. In 1958, when Peggy Seeger's UK work permit expired, Alex Campbell agreed to a marriage of convenience with her. On 24 January 1959, he married her in Paris. Seeger's USA passport had been withdrawn, and this marriage prevented deportation, and was, according to Seeger "a platonic relationship".〔(Platonic )〕 Seeger has described the wedding ceremony as "hilarious": at the time she was seven months pregnant with Ewan MacColl's baby and the officiating priest lectured Campbell about his forthcoming lifetime commitment to "the poor girl whom he had got into so much trouble". The following day, Seeger returned to London and settled down with MacColl.〔Harper. p.96〕 Campbell himself settled down with his eventual wife, Patsy, and had two sons. By 1961, Campbell was playing folk clubs in London, including Les Cousins, and appeared several times, on and off stage, at Robin Hall and Jimmie MacGregor's ''London Folk Song Cellar'' on the BBC. He toured Germany several times, and other parts of Europe. For several years he lived in Denmark, first in Skagen, and later in Tonder. His musical tastes, however, were much wider than many people knew. For instance, he loved to listen to operatic recordings. By the early 1980s he had throat cancer and could hardly speak. He died of tuberculosis in Denmark on 3 January 1987. In 1986, Rab Noakes wrote the song, "Gently Does It", as a tribute to Campbell, contrasting the powerful presence Campbell had with the realities of his illness, and expressing a wish for him to slow down. The song includes the line "And a few years ago you'd been on this road so long", referencing Campbell's best known song.〔(Living Tradition article )〕 The singer-songwriter Allan Taylor wrote, "Alex Campbell was the most important and influential folksinger of the folksong revival in Europe, admired, respected and loved by his fellow performers and his audiences. An outrageous, hard drinking, hard travelling, hard living man."〔(Allan Taylor )〕 In his autobiography, the comedian Billy Connolly wrote of his admiration for Campbell. In addition, Campbell himself would often tell stories about himself that were self-deprecating and humorous. One such story, from (Ian MacKintosh ) concerns Alex and his friend Hamish Imlach. Once he and Hamish Imlach were heading for a gig, and stopped for a drink. In the lounge bar, the barmaid said 'Yes, gentlemen.' Alex said 'Gentlemen? Before you is the cream of Scottish folk music – Alex Campbell and Hamish Imlach. We'll have two pints of your best and twenty Benson & Hedges.' The barmaid went through to the saloon bar for the cigarettes, came back and said 'What was the name again?' Alex said "Alex Campbell.' The barmaid said 'No, no, what cigarettes?'" 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alex Campbell (singer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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