John Roberts (musician)
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John Roberts | |
|---|---|
 Roberts in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 5 May 1944 Worcestershire, England |
| Died | 30 January 2025 (aged 80) |
| Genres | Traditional folk music |
| Instruments | Vocals, concertina, banjo |
| Years active | 1969–2025 |
| Label | Golden Hind Music |
| Member of | Nowell Sing We Clear, Curragh |
| Formerly of | John Roberts and Tony Barrand |
| Website | https://johnrobertsmusic.com/ |
John Roberts (5 May 1944 – 30 January 2025) was an English musician.
He is best known for his musical collaborations with Tony Barrand. As Roberts and Barrand, they performed a cappella and accompanied performances of traditional English folk music. They also performed and recorded fare such as sea shanties of the North Atlantic, and an album of traditional drinking songs. The duo was also half of the related act Nowell Sing We Clear—which in addition to a number of albums—performs an annual yuletide concert series.
Born in Worcestershire, England, of Welsh ancestry, Roberts moved to the United States to study graduate level psychology at Cornell University, where he formed his longtime music partnership with Tony Barrand in 1968.[1] They were members of the Cornell Folk Song Club and for several years served as co-presidents.
Roberts also had a solo career, was a member of the trio Ye Mariners All (with John Rockwell and Larry Young), and performed regularly with upstate New York's Broken String Band. In recent years he had performed with his partner Lisa Preston, as well as folksinger Debra Cowen.[2]
He was a regular at the Old Songs Festival both as a performer and Master of Ceremonies for evening concerts.
Roberts died on 30 January 2025, at the age of 80.[3]