Mick Softley

about

Michael 'Mick' Softley (South Woodford, Essex, 1941 - 1 September 2017) was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. A figurehead during the British folk scene, Softley set up his own folk club, released three albums and has been known to work with Mac MacLeod, Donovan Leitch and Maddy Prior. Donovan even covered two of Softley's songs ("Goldwatch Blues" and "The War Drags On") on his early recordings. Softley grew up in Essex near Epping Forest. His mother was of Irish origin (from County Cork) and his father had East Anglian tinker roots, going back to a few generations. Softley first took up trombone in school and became interested in traditional jazz. He was later persuaded to become a singer by one of his school teachers, and this led to him listening to Big Bill Broonzy and promptly changed his attitude to music, to the extent of him buying a mail-order guitar and some tutorial books and teaching himself to play. By 1959, Mick Softley had left his job and home and spent time travelling around Europe on his motorbike, with a friend, Mick Rippingale. He ended up in Paris, where he came into the company of musicians such as Clive Palmer, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Wizz Jones. Here he improved his guitar skills and spent time busking with friends until his return to England in the early 1960s. He set up a folk club at The Spinning Wheel in Hemel Hempstead. Softley began singing in 'The Cock', a pub in St Albans, which was a hang out for beatniks and hippies and attracted

top songs

albums

Songs for Swingin' Survivors

sunrise

▥

Anthems In Eden

Songs for Swingin' Lovers (2021 Remaster)

Street Singer

Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers

Any Mother Doesn't Grumble

▥

Songs for Swingin' Lovers

▥

Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers - Gandalf's Garden (Disc 2)

▥

Immediate Pleasure

▥

Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music

▥

The Blues Anthology CD3

similar artists