Ashley Hutchings
b. 26 January 1945, Southgate, Middlesex, England. Although largely remembered as the founder member of Fairport Convention, where he was often afforded the nickname Tyger, Hutchings also went on to form Steeleye Span, in 1970. He played on the first four Fairport Convention albums, ending with the classic LIEGE AND LIEF. Ashley had grown unhappy with the increase in original material that the group was playing, at the expense of more traditional works. While with Fairport Convention he contributed to their one hit record, Si Tu Dois Partir, in 1969. After three albums with Steeleye Span, Hutchings formed the Albion Country Band, in 1971, and has led a succession of Albion Band line-ups ever since. The first of these line-ups was on NO ROSES, which included a total of 26 musicians, including himself and his then wife Shirley Collins. Many of the personnel involved have worked with Hutchings on other occasions, such as John Kirkpatrick, Barry Dransfield, Nic Jones, and the late Royston Wood, formerly of Young Tradition. With Hutchings the Albion Band became the first electric group to appear in plays at the National Theatre, London. The group also ‘electrified’ Morris dancing, exemplified in MORRIS ON, and SON OF MORRIS ON. Hutchings has also done much work with former Fairport Convention members, Richard Thompson, and the late Sandy Denny. Hutchings has written and presented programmes on folk music for the BBC, and both he and the Albion Band were the subject of their own BBC television documentary, in 1979. More recently, Hutchings wrote and acted in his own one-man show about, song collector Cecil Sharp. The show has been performed nationwide since 1984. The presentation resulted in AN EVENING WITH CECIL SHARP AND ASHLEY HUTCHINGS. Hutchins continues to tour and record. It is not undeserved that he has been called the Father of Folk Rock in Britain.