John Wright

John Wright is a name that was synonymous with ‘the best’ in the interpretation of contemporary song in the UK.



Tragically, John passed away on 7 February 2008. He was only 60 years of age. But during his comparatively short career, John touched the hearts and lives of thousands of people across the globe and he will be remembered through the wonderful legacy of music he left behind.



It was in the early Nineties that John began carving a career and reputation which attracted a fan-base throughout Europe and beyond. He quickly became established as one of the most accomplished and sophisticated interpreters of contemporary song on the European acoustic-roots music scene, John was justifiably renowned for his ability to pick great songs to sing which he performed with passionate sincerity.



His integrity as an artist was admired by fellow performers and fans alike, as was his willingness to give encouragement and opportunity to young players with his touring band line-ups.



John has 14 CDs to his credit and in 2005 released his first DVD - 'John Wright Life and Live'.



However, it was John's album 'Dangerous Times'- launched in the spring of 2002 - that was to herald a new direction in a life which had already become accustomed to dramatic change.



From a high profile spotlight as a member of the Household Cavalry, to the solitary existence of a hill shepherd, John emerged to take centre-stage as a professional singer in the early '90s. John's introduction to music began as the youngest of four brothers all choristers at their local church in East Didsbury.



As the Sixties scene took off in Manchester, so did John's enthusiasm, and he played with several local rock bands before moving to London to join the army. But even the pomp and ceremony of the Life Guards couldn't keep John quiet, and he spent many hours bolstering his army pay as a tuxedo-clad crooner in the piano bars of the West End.



John became interested in folk music whilst still in the army and this increased as he left to make his life as a shepherd, at first in Northumberland on the English Borders and later as he moved over to the Scottish side.



For more than 20 years John was immersed in the Border Hills, singing only occasionally at local functions. In 1990 however, he was persuaded to record a cassette of acapella singing -- "Border Crossings" funded from the sale of his shepherding pony "Bandit"! The cassette brought John a few festival invitations and thence to the attention of Paul and Linda Adams at Fellside Records. Fellside gave John the opportunity to record his first album in 1993 "Ride the Rolling Sky".



Two of the accompanying musicians on the CD were Kenny Speirs and Wattie Robson , who together with John became the John Wright Band. The 'game', as they say, was ON! Three Fellside albums were produced before the band moved to Greentrax Records, Scotland, to record two further CDs. John also recorded his solo album --"A Few Short Lines" -- which featured players from his "Friends" tours of Holland.



During this time the Band was in demand for concerts, festivals and at folk clubs throughout the UK, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. John also gained a fan-base in the USA when he completed a tour of the east coast with singer/song-writer Maurice Dickson.



In 2001 the original band line-up changed and John began touring with a pool of fine musicians from the British acoustic music scene -- working with a five-piece band to single guitar accompaniment.