Lincolnshire-based John is a singer first and foremost, accompanying himself on guitar plus occasional unaccompanied songs.
John's repertoire includes both traditional material and contemporary songs by some of the major British and Trans-Atlantic singer/songwriters – Allan Taylor, Tom Paxton, Dylan, Stan Rogers, Gordon Lightfoot, Archie Fisher, Ralph McTell, Dougie MacLean, Jez Lowe, Harvey Andrews - as well as songs by less-well-known but highly talented local writers such as Simon Johnson, Jack Hudson, Dave Wilson and Scattergood & Cartwright ('Skatz').
Having sung and played in various Lincolnshire Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rock and Pop bands since 1963, John is a lifelong lover of folk music and, encouraged by Patrick Sleight and Ruairidh Grieg, founding fathers of the Gainsborough 'Folk 'n' Good Ale Club', he went ‘acoustic’ in 1991. John is a committee member of the Gainsborough Club.
He appears regularly at the Gainsborough club, and in other folk clubs in the Lincs., Notts. and South Yorks. areas – Grimsby, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Epworth, Doncaster, Bingham (Nottingham), Scanlon’s (Brigg), Routes to Music (Scunthorpe) and Lincolnshire Folk-Meets, as well as sessions in the Gainsborough area.
John has performed as support to Dave Swarbrick & Kevin Dempsey, ‘Amazing Blondel’ (John Gladwin, Eddie Baird and Terry Wincott), Canadian singer Eileen McGann, and 'Waking The Witch'.
His first CD, 'Better Late Than Naked', is a 'One-Voice-One-Guitar' production designed to represent a true reflection of his 'live' work, and is available for purchase now. For more information about the CD, and to hear a selection of sound-clips, please click on the link below.
In October, 2006, John joined forces with another Lincolnshire musician, Mark Addison, to co-write an entry for the 'Write A Lincolnshire Folk Song 2006' competition. Their song, 'The Fallen of Fulstow' (words Mark Addison, music and performance John Blanks) went on to take first prize! Here's John performing 'The Fallen of Fulstow' on the main stage at Gainsborough Folk Festival, 2006.
You can read the story behind the song, and hear a sound clip, by clicking on the link below.
Lincolnshire Folk Song Competition 2006
Contact Details
email
webdesign by mikedunit email
Links
Gainsborough Folk Club
Lincolnshire Folk
Acoustyistics Ltd.
Mark Addison
If you are wondering where this background came from- check out this site
