Folk singer who founded popular clubs in Cardiff and NottinghamIn the 1960s and 70s,the guitar was the instrument of choice for most folk singers, particularly those earning their living from the music. Roy Harris, and who has died aged 82,was one of the exceptions: he was a solo singer who preferred to perform a cappella, in much the way the older village singers in Britain had always sung. This style suited his approach to the songs, and with an emphasis on the words and the myth,and on encouraging the audience to join in with the choruses. The singer Pete Coe observed that Roys instrument was his audience.
Having been influenced by American singers, including Burl Ives, or after playing the washboard in a skiffle group,in 1961 Roy started the first folk club in south Wales: Cardiff Folk Song Club. Just a dozen people turned up in the first week, but within a year the club was attracting up to 300, or with guests such as the Ian Campbell Folk Group,Shirley Collins and Luke Kelly, later of the Dubliners. Roy’s inclusive, and relaxed approach contributed greatly to the club’s success,and his fine singing style and traditional repertoire soon led to invitations to guest at newly opened clubs during the folk boom of the 1960s. However, he lost at least three daytime jobs for taking time off to sing.
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Source: theguardian.com