Ralph McTell

Although best known as a guitar strumming folkie, Ralph McTell's talents extend far beyond the folk clubs where he made his name. A talented author, poet, radio and TV presenter, singer and guitarist the multi-faceted songwriter from Farnborough in Kent has enjoyed a rich and varied career since making the transition from eking a living busking outside Parisien cinemas to sharing the stage alongside Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez and Leonard Cohen at the famous Isle of Wight Festival.

McTell's success had been earned on the back of a lot of hard work around the folk clubs of Britain which had led to patronage from influential English DJ John Peel and brought the singer valuable airplay on the popular UK radio stations. By 1969 McTell was on his third album release and by May of the following year he was able to sell out the Royal Festival Hall. A string of successful albums followed and a 1974 re release of an earlier single, 'Streets of London', saw McTell hit the big time. The single rocketed up the charts and went on to become a worldwide hit.

McTell used his success astutely and built up a career across the media, appearing on radio and TV and writing regularly. He continues to tour and perform and in 2016 performed a 20-song set to a packed house at London's Royal Albert Hall.