Folk guitarists

Folk guitarists of Britain and Ireland on Folk Calendar: 70 of them, with their dates, where they were born and died, and their recordings. Every artist, A to Z

B

Denny Bartley Singer and guitarist; Sherburn Bartley Sanders, Last Night's Fun
© Paul Hudson CC BY 4.0 Phil Beer Fiddler and multi instrumentalist; Show of Hands
John Blek Singer, songwriter and guitarist from Cork
© Bryan Ledgard CC BY 2.0 Paul Brady Singer, guitarist and songwriter; Planxty
© Ben Sutherland CC BY 2.0 Billy Bragg Singer and songwriter; Mermaid Avenue
Derek Brimstone 1932 to 2017 Folk club guitarist, banjo player and comic
© Bryan Ledgard CC BY 2.0 Dave Burland Singer and guitarist; A Dalesman's Litany

C

© XIIIfromTOKYO CC BY-SA 4.0 Eamonn Campbell 1946 to 2017 Guitarist and producer; The Dubliners
© XIIIfromTOKYO CC BY-SA 4.0 Seán Cannon Singer and guitarist; The Dubliners
© Nick Barber CC BY-SA 4.0 Sam Carter Guitarist and singer; False Lights
© Mike Garvey CC BY-SA 3.0 Martin Carthy Singer and guitarist; Steeleye Span, The Watersons
Michael Chapman 1941 to 2021 Guitarist and songwriter; Fully Qualified Survivor
Holly Clarke Traditional singer and guitarist; Holly and the Reivers
Johnny Collins 1938 to 2009 Shanty and sea song singer; Norwich
Steve Cooney Guitarist, composer and producer

D

© Shaggy359 CC BY-SA 3.0 Richard Digance Singer, guitarist and comedian
© Tony Rees CC BY-SA 4.0 Diz Disley 1931 to 2010 Guitarist and folk club entertainer; jazz and skiffle
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill 1951 to 2006 Singer and guitarist; the Bothy Band, Skara Brae
© Enamelhead CC BY-SA 3.0 Jerry Donahue Guitarist; Fotheringay, Fairport Convention
Paul Downes Guitarist, singer and composer; Downes and Beer, the Joyce Gang
© Frank Schwichtenberg CC BY-SA 4.0 John Doyle Guitarist and singer; Solas and Usher's Island
Nick Drake 1948 to 1974 Singer, songwriter and guitarist; Five Leaves Left, Pink Moon
© Nick Bramhall from Aberdeen, UK CC BY-SA 2.0 Kris Drever Singer, guitarist and songwriter; Lau
Ronnie Drew 1934 to 2008 Singer and guitarist; The Dubliners
© Bruce Baker CC BY 2.0 Blair Dunlop Singer, songwriter and guitarist

F

© Cindy Funk CC BY 2.0 Archie Fisher 1939 to 2025 Singer, guitarist and songwriter; Travelling Folk
Chris Foster Singer and guitarist; English traditional song
© Bryan Ledgard CC BY 2.0 Bob Fox Singer and guitarist; The Pitmen Poets

G

© Markus Großmann (Ide)CC BY-SA 2.5 Dick Gaughan Singer and guitarist; Five Hand Reel
© Baillon CC BY-SA 4.0 Gordon Giltrap Acoustic guitarist and composer; Heartsong
Davy Graham 1940 to 2008 Guitarist; Anji, DADGAD tuning

H

Tim Hart 1948 to 2009 Singer and guitarist; Steeleye Span

I

Hamish Imlach 1940 to 1996 Singer, guitarist and raconteur; Glasgow

J

© Chris Barber from Dartford, England CC BY-SA 2.0 Bert Jansch 1943 to 2011 Guitarist, singer and songwriter; Pentangle
© Seth Tisue from Boston, MA, USA CC BY-SA 2.0 Bridget St John Singer and guitarist; Ask Me No Questions
Bob Johnson 1944 to 2023 Guitarist and singer; Steeleye Span
Peerie Willie Johnson 1920 to 2007 Guitarist; Shetland dance music
© Tony 1212 CC BY-SA 4.0 Nic Jones Singer, guitarist and fiddler; Penguin Eggs
© Tony 1212 CC BY-SA 4.0 Wizz Jones 1939 to 2025 Guitarist and singer; British folk blues

K

© Rob Glover CC BY-SA 2.0 Benji Kirkpatrick Guitarist and bouzouki player; Bellowhead, Faustus
© Brian Marks CC BY 2.0 Steve Knightley Singer and songwriter; Show of Hands

L

© Beanmunster CC BY 2.0 Sean Lakeman Guitarist and producer; Equation
Julian Littman Guitarist, songwriter and actor; Steeleye Span; Charlie Dore
© candyschwartz CC BY 2.0 Jez Lowe Songwriter; Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies
Trevor Lucas 1943 to 1989 Singer and guitarist; Fotheringay, Fairport Convention

M

Kitty Macfarlane Singer, songwriter and guitarist; Somerset
© TimDuncan CC BY 3.0 John Martyn 1948 to 2009 Singer, songwriter and guitarist; Solid Air
Arty McGlynn 1944 to 2019 Guitarist; Patrick Street and Planxty
Ewan McLennan Singer and guitarist
Ralph McTell Singer, songwriter and guitarist; Streets of London
Christy Moore Singer and guitarist; Planxty, Moving Hearts
Noel Murphy Singer, guitarist and humourist

N

Simon Nicol Guitarist and singer; Fairport Convention

O

© Bryan Ledgard CC BY 2.0 Damien O’Kane Singer, banjo player and guitarist

P

Karen Pfeiffer Singer, guitarist and woodwind player; duo with Paul Walker

Q

Pernille Quigg Singer-songwriter and guitarist; The Quiggs
Stephen Quigg Singer and guitarist; The McCalmans; The Quiggs

R

© Thom C from Blackstone Valley, United States CC BY 2.0 John Renbourn 1944 to 2015 Guitarist; Pentangle, John Renbourn Group
Jack Rutter Singer, guitarist and bouzouki player; Moore Moss Rutter

S

George Sansome Traditional singer and guitarist; Granny's Attic; Queer Folk
© University of Salford Press Office CC BY 2.0 Peggy Seeger Singer and songwriter; Radio Ballads, Gonna Be an Engineer
© Tim Packer CC BY-SA 4.0 Martin Simpson Singer and guitarist; English and American traditions
Declan Sinnott Guitarist and producer; Moving Hearts
© Alineofelms CC BY-SA 4.0 Dáithí Sproule Guitarist and singer; Skara Brae and Altan

T

© Dxede5x CC BY-SA 3.0 Richard Thompson Guitarist and songwriter; Fairport Convention
Steve Tilston Songwriter and guitarist
Gordon Tyrrall Singer, guitarist and flute player; Magnetic North; duo recordings with Brian Peters

W

Paul Walker Singer-songwriter and guitarist; duo with Karen Pfeiffer
Dan Walsh Clawhammer banjo player, guitarist and singer; Urban Folk Quartet
Bob Wood Singer and fingerstyle guitarist; Ram Folk Club founder