Tim Hart, founding member of British folk-rock group Steeleye Span, dies in Spain at 61

[Amerigo Vespucci]

From left to right Tim Hart,Nigel,Pegrum,Maddy Prior,Peter Knight,Bob Johnson & Rick Kemp

Tim Hart of Steeleye Span dies in Spain at 61

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091230/ap_en_mu/eu_spain_obit_hart

Wed Dec 30, 7:36 am ET

MADRID – Tim Hart, a founding member of the British folk-rock group Steeleye Span, has died of lung cancer, his daughter said Wednesday.

Hart, 61, died Dec. 24 in La Gomera in Spain's Canary Islands, where the Briton had lived since retiring from the music scene, Sally Hart told The Associated Press.

He had returned to La Gomera three weeks ago after spending a year in Britain receiving treatment, she said.

"In the last few days he became very weak, and had chest pains. His body had suffered greatly from the cancer treatment," she said.

Hart was a star of the 1960s folk scene in Britain, first gaining fame in a musical partnership with singer Maddy Prior in 1966. The duo recorded two albums of "Folk Songs of Olde England," with the versatile Hart backing their singing on guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, banjo and violin.

In 1971, Hart and Prior joined with Ashley Hutchings, who had left the Fairport Convention to form a new band. The new project, at Hart's suggestion, was named Steeleye Span after a character in a Lincolnshire folk song, "Horkstow Grange."

Hart left Steeleye Span in 1983, but appeared at a charity concert with the group in 1995. Last year, he appeared with Prior at a BBC concert in London.

[HughBeaumont]

1. RIP. "Below the Salt" is one of my favorite albums.

Didn't really explore their collection after that one. Maybe I'll have to start.

"There were three men came from the west, their fortunes were to tell. And the life of John Barleycorn as well."

[Doc_Technical]

2. RIP Tim.

Steeleye Span- Fighting for Strangers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsjgaGPU-PY&feature=related