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Lal Waterson (born Elaine Waterson; 15 February 1943 - 4 September 1998) was an English folksinger and songwriter. She sang with, among others, The Watersons, The Waterdaughters and Blue Murder. She was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and died suddenly in Robin Hood's Bay, of cancer diagnosed only ten days before. 'Lal Waterson's voice was stark but captivating, her songs lyrically ambitious and melodically powerful.' ^[1]

Lal Waterson was the sister of Norma Waterson and Mike Waterson, the aunt of Eliza Carthy, and the sister-in-law of Martin Carthy. She was survived by her husband of 30 years, George Knight, and her two children, Oliver Knight and Maria Gilhooley, with both of whom she had recorded albums.

Biography

Lal, Norma, and Mike Waterson were orphans and brought up by their grandmother who was of part gypsy descent. Always very close they began singing together, with cousin John Harrison, in the 1950s, with Lal 'singing unexpected harmonies.' Having opened their own folk club in a pub in the fishing port of Hull where they grew up, by the mid 1960s they had developed their own unaccompanied style singing harmony style re-workings of traditional English songs. In 1968 they stopped touring and became geographically separate for the first time - Norma went to Montserrat, and Lal to Leeds where her husband George lived, while Mike stayed in Hull. Both Mike and Lal were writing songs and when Lal returned to Hull they began working together. When Martin Carthy heard Lal's songs he found them extraordinary, her work , 'didn't sound like anyone else and the words were so powerful.' At this time Carthy was in the folk-rock band Steeleye Span and he told the bass player Ashley Hutchings about Lal and Mike's songs and together they arranged to have them recorded, not unaccompanied, but with an impressive backing band that included Carthy, Hutchings and Richard Thompson. Bright Phoebus was released in 1972 and 'caused a quiet sensation'. ^[2]

When Freddie Mercury revealed that he was HIV positive, Daily Mirror columnist Joe Haines made some offensive remarks. Lal Waterson responded to this with her song "Reply To Joe Haines". She never recorded it, but it appears on her sister Norma Waterson's album The Very Thought of You. Migrating Bird - The Songs of Lal Waterson (2007) is a tribute album, with contributions from James Yorkston, Alasdair Roberts, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Vashti Bunyan, Victoria Williams and others. Jo Freya's album "Lal" (2007) is another tribute to her.

Discography

Lal and Mike Waterson Bright Phoebus 1972
Lal Norma and Maria Waterson A True Hearted Girl 1977
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight Once in a Blue Moon 1996
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight A Bed of Roses 1999

References

^ Once in a Blue Moon, Radio Times, p.141 6-12 November 2010
^ Robin Denselow, speaking on Once in a Blue Moon, the songs of Lal Waterson, Radio Four 9 November 2010

External links

Obituary – Bright Phoebus Dimmed by John Pilgrim

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[1] Once in a Blue Moon, Radio Times, p.141 6-12 November 2010

[2] Robin Denselow, speaking on Once in a Blue Moon, the songs of Lal Waterson, Radio Four 9 November 2010

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-'''Lal Waterson''' (born Elaine Waterson; 15 February 1943 - 4 September 1998) was an [[England|English]] folksinger and songwriter. She sang with, among others, [[The Watersons]], [[The Waterdaughters]] and [[Blue Murder (folk)|Blue Murder]]. She was born in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] and died suddenly in [[Robin Hood's Bay]], of cancer diagnosed only ten days before.
+'''Lal Waterson''' (born Elaine Waterson; 15 February 1943 - 4 September 1998) was an [[England|English]] folksinger and songwriter. She sang with, among others, [[The Watersons]], [[The Waterdaughters]] and [[Blue Murder (folk)|Blue Murder]]. She was born in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] and died suddenly in [[Robin Hood's Bay]], of cancer diagnosed only ten days before. 'Lal Waterson's voice was stark but captivating,  her songs lyrically ambitious and melodically powerful.' <ref> Once in a Blue Moon, Radio Times, p.141 6-12 November 2010 </ref>
 Lal Waterson was the sister of [[Norma Waterson]] and [[Mike Waterson]], the aunt of [[Eliza Carthy]], and the sister-in-law of [[Martin Carthy]]. She was survived by her husband of 30 years, George Knight, and her two children, Oliver Knight and [[Maria Gilhooley]], with both of whom she had recorded albums.
 ==Biography==
-Lal, Norma, and Mike Waterson were orphans and brought up by their grandmother who was of part [[gypsy]] descent. Always very close  they began singing together, with cousin John Harrison, in the 1950s, with Lal 'singing unexpected harmonies.' Having opened their own folk club in a pub in the fishing port of Hull where they grew up, by the mid 1960s they had developed their own unaccompanied style singing harmony style re-workings  of traditional English songs. In 1968 they stopped touring and became geographically separate for the first time - Norma went to [[Montserrat]],  and Lal to [[Leeds]] where her husband George lived, while Mike stayed in Hull. Both Mike and Lal were writing songs and when Lal returned to Hull they began working together. When [[Martin Carthy]] heard Lal's songs 'he found them extraordinary.'
+Lal, Norma, and Mike Waterson were orphans and brought up by their grandmother who was of part [[gypsy]] descent. Always very close  they began singing together, with cousin John Harrison, in the 1950s, with Lal 'singing unexpected harmonies.' Having opened their own folk club in a pub in the fishing port of Hull where they grew up, by the mid 1960s they had developed their own unaccompanied style singing harmony style re-workings  of traditional English songs. In 1968 they stopped touring and became geographically separate for the first time - Norma went to [[Montserrat]],  and Lal to [[Leeds]] where her husband George lived, while Mike stayed in Hull. Both Mike and Lal were writing songs and when Lal returned to Hull they began working together. When [[Martin Carthy]] heard Lal's songs he found them extraordinary, her work , 'didn't sound like anyone else and the words were so powerful.' At this time Carthy was in the  folk-rock band [[Steeleye Span]] and he told the bass player [[Ashley Hutchings]] about Lal and Mike's songs and together they arranged to have them recorded, not unaccompanied, but with an impressive backing band that included Carthy, Hutchings and [[Richard Thompson]]. ''Bright Phoebus'' was released in 1972 and 'caused a quiet sensation'. <ref> Robin Denselow, speaking on ''Once in a Blue Moon, the songs of Lal Waterson'',  Radio Four 9 November 2010 </ref>
 When [[Freddie Mercury]] revealed that he was [[HIV]] positive, ''[[The Daily Mirror|Daily Mirror]]'' columnist [[Joe Haines]] made some offensive remarks. Lal Waterson responded to this with her song "Reply To Joe Haines". She never recorded it, but it appears on her sister [[Norma Waterson]]'s album ''The Very Thought of You''. ''Migrating Bird - The Songs of Lal Waterson'' (2007) is a tribute album, with contributions from [[James Yorkston]], [[Alasdair Roberts (musician)|Alasdair Roberts]], [[Willard Grant Conspiracy]], [[Vashti Bunyan]], [[Victoria Williams]] and others. [[Jo Freya]]'s album "Lal" (2007) is another tribute to her.
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 *Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight ''A Bed of Roses''	1999
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
 ==External links==
 *[http://www.mustrad.org.uk/news08.htm Obituary – Bright Phoebus Dimmed] by John Pilgrim