Davy Graham

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17.12.2008 : Daisy Main wrote While I did not know this musical maestro's name, I was familiar with his work and thank him for being a vital piece of the machinery that made for some fantastic listening.
17.12.2008 : Davis Parnell wrote Rest in peace: a great influence.
17.12.2008 : Valerie Smith wrote On the Manchester folk scene in the 60's every guitarist worth his salt was playing Davey Graham songs and instrumentals. One guitarist in particular, Tony Davis, used to end every session with Anji. He was encouraged to do so by my (late) husband Ian who, at the end of every song would shout "play Anji Tony"
I now have a vision of Ian waiting at the pearly gates for Davey and greeting him with these words - "go on Davey, play Anji"
We had every record that Davey Graham made and he gave us and our friends many hours of pleasure. I hope this will be some comfort to his family.
Thank you Davey for your music and the wonderful memories.
Val Smith
17.12.2008 : Ian Lancaster wrote Years ago, programmed a concert by Davy at Hull U folk club. Mesmeric. Then back to a mate's flat where he was overnighting... even more mesmeric. That evening this humble, self-effacing (but tall and gaunt) guy lived through his guitar and made all of us at the concert, and the honoured few back at the flat, a little more aware of life, it's trials, tribulations, joys and delights.
17.12.2008 : luca guernieri wrote I learnt to play guitar listening to the sounds of mr graham,i am very sad to hear of his death,he will be greatly missed,
thoughts go out to your family and close friends..rip.
18.12.2008 : phil mullen wrote Davey was my guitar teacher for a time in the 1980's. Yes he was different and eccentric but much more important for me was how he approached his music . He combined both discipline and great passion and had a wonderful vision of music which he never wavered from.
I loved the man and learnt from him much about the essence and intensity of music .
I have been a professional music educator ever since our time together and owe a lot to his teaching .
The world was much better for him being in it and is lesser for him having left it .
Condolences to his family and friends.
Phil Mullen
19.12.2008 : Alan Douglas wrote Great guitarist - probably my favourite. Will always treasure the Ken Russell film of Davy Graham playing Cry me a river. Well worth watching on YouTube.

Just hope that BBC4 or Sky Arts will celebrate his career.

Alan
19.12.2008 : sara green wrote In the 60s Davy Graham would come and play at the pub "Mother Hubbard" in Buckhurst Hill where there was a marvellous folk club run by Graham Wood. His guitar playing was magical and we were all mesmerised. I remember he was quite a quiet man, not at all like some of the other showy performers who came to the club. His visits were always a delight and I have never forgotten how wonderful his music was.
20.12.2008 : Karl Dallas wrote Not enough space to say all I have to say about my friend and mentor. I've said more at folknews.blogspot.com - but even there, there's much I've not been able to fit in. I did a radio celebration on BCB community radio on the day after his death, and will post it up at www.karldallas.com soon after Christmas. Love and peace Davey!
21.12.2008 : DAVID DIXON wrote Working out Anji and Cocaine in the wee small hours in LiverpoolUniversity Halls in 64/65 is a fond memory and still cannot do perfect after 45 years. Saw Davy in concert i Manchester early this year. A loss
21.12.2008 : PETE METCALFE wrote I remember feeling strongest of all that Davey, in the 60's, seemed light years ahead of everyone else. His ability to fuse fok, blues, jazz, swing and oriental together was extraordinary, something no-one else was doing. To see him at Tony Savage's club in Leicester was, for me, one of the most memorable performances of my life, not because of the detail but of how he strung all those elements together. Probably because I have a liking for all those musical styles is why he appeals, but he was so hip at a time when Leicester people thought hip was shopping at Fenwicks and not Woolies.
23.12.2008 : Jasper James Knight wrote So sorry to hear of Davy's death. Not being current in Davy's life since the sixties we send our condolences to Amanda, Jull, Jenny & Angie and hope you all still survive! We have many memories of Davy from St. Tropez, Menton, Paris, Tangier and Notting Hill - St. Mark's Road, mainly including Geno.

Please let us know any funeral details if any of you remember us.

James & Mo Knight
23.12.2008 : Alisha Sufit wrote Dear Davy, I will miss him, as will many others. I first heard his exciting, innovative sounds when, as a teenager, I bought the EP 3/4 AD that he made with Alexis Korner. I had no idea back then that one day I would meet him and we would become long time friends.

Early on I was struck by his layered and complex understanding of his chosen field of music, a field so broad and deep it became almost too much for him at times. He was a man of great subtlety and intelligence, capable of surprising one to the last. Throughout his life he had an inspired and enduring interest in myriad forms of music from many parts of the world, which he drew into his own creations and made his own. So many musicians took inspiration from him and he lives on through them as well as through the great legacy of his recorded music which we can all still enjoy.

Dear Davy, rest in peace,
Alisha Sufit
25.12.2008 : ALAN WALKER wrote Rest in Peace doesn't sound right for Davy, who restlessly kept searching.
Thanks for turning up stuff to keep us wondering.
After that, who knows?
28.12.2008 : Derek Sarjeant wrote I got to know Davey Graham in the 1960's. During the 1960/70's I booked him several times to play at my Surbiton and Kingston Folk Club where he always drew a capacity crowd. In June 1968 my friend Jazz Guitarist Diz Disley brought along and introduced two singers at my Club's 7th Anniversary Concert. One was Hazel King and the other was Holly Gwinn. I later married Hazel and Davey married Holly. During the 1960/70's Hazel and myself appeared on the same programme as Davey at a number of Concerts and Festivals both here in England and in Germany. On these occasions Davey travelled mostly with his Mother. His programme was always unpredictable - he would sometimes perform a Blues and follow it with a piece of Famenco or a Jazz Composition. However whatever he played it was always with dedication and inventiveness. I had many conversations with Davey and found him a very modest, talented and caring person. His demise will be lamented by countless Folk Enthusiasts and Guitarists
07.01.2009 : Terry St.Clair wrote The name Davy Graham was known to me from the earliest days of my love of guitar music. From the first time I picked up a guitar and tried to learn THAT tune. That was more than 40 years ago. I met the man 20 years later and saw him performing many times, often at the Troubadour in Earls Court. You never knew what to expect and sometimes it was a little confusing as he moved from some 15th century flamenco piece to a blues, then a traditional Scotish song. It didn't matter to him, it was all music. Even in his most unpredictable performances there was always some genious and surprise. I was never dissapointed.
Once as I was trying to play a Broonzy tune I'd been working on for months. He grabbed my guitar from me and showed me how to do it in a few minutes.
Thank you Davy. And thank you for all your great music. But most of all for showing us that there are no bounderies, just our imagination. You will be sadly missed by all of us.
14.01.2009 : glyn beaver wrote He is the reason I learnt to play the guitar 40 years ago, no doubt like many other folk blues lovers. He will be sadly missed.
15.01.2009 : Tony Reeves wrote I had the privilege of being the double bass player on Folk, Blues and Beyond, and Midnight Man. I was hired by Ray Horricks the producer, along with drummer Barry Morgan as a 'session musician', and it became clear within the first 8 bars that this was not going to be just another session.

I met up with this true gentleman again a while back, did a rehearsal with him at the house in Lyme St, and we played a few gigs (including what was probably his last ever appearance - I'm so glad I recorded it). Barry Morgan passed on a year or so ago, the pair of them are probably swapping flams and paradiddles as we speak.

Folk, Blues and Beyond: the 'Beyond' says it all... love and respect to you, Davy.

Tony Reeves
19.01.2009 : Alan Sturgess wrote I still remember buying 'The Guitar Player' on the Pye album. It was one of the first LP's I ever bought. I still have it, even though it is now released on CD. Davy's playing excited me then and it still does. His music wasn't always easy to listen to, but it was always worth the effort of being listened to. I still find it awfully sad that, like another hero, Peter Green, he chose to damage his talent in the pursuit of drug-enhanced awareness - but the work he leaves behind will be an inspiration to anyone who wants to explore the world of acoustic guitar playing. We should all be grateful to him, and to the small band of people who recently made sure that almost his entire back catalogue was re-released on CD. I do not believe in god, heaven or hell so I will not say that I hope he rests in peace, but I do hope that the manner of his passing was far more calm than the upheavals and sometimes-chaso of his life. Goodbye Davy - and thank you.
30.01.2009 : Giles Read wrote The last time I saw you on stage Davy you were too drunk to play but you did have this little story to tell:
"One day a young woman found herself lost in the forest and couldn't find her way home. After many hours of wandering she came upon a little shack in the middle of no-where and knocked on the door in the hope that someone might be inside and able to help. After a time an old man answered the door and stood there naked as the day he was born without a stich on him except for a top hat. The young girl, too alarmed to ask for help exclaimed: "Sir, why are you naked?" and the man replied: "Because, young woman, no-one ever comes here!" so she asked: "Then why wear the top hat?" and the old man replied with a smile: "You never know who might!". Legendary. R.I.P.
05.02.2009 : Bill Beveridge wrote You gave us all you had to give, gifts both great and small,
But most of all you gave us love, the greatest gift of all.
First heard Davy in early 60's in The Howff, Dunfermline, led to a lifelong love of folk music and big guitars. I shall listen to Folk Blues and Beyond tonight with special thoughts.
07.02.2009 : Kieron Clements wrote I first heard Davy on his great 60's album 'Folk,Blues & Beyond'.Still one of my all time fave albums.Sad he never seemed to click with the public like many lesser musicians and imitators.His recordings are a wonderful legacy and inspiration to guitarists.
R.I.P Davy.
Davy Graham

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