Presented by Richard Harris
“I like to play the music that you don’t always here on the radio”, says Richard, “especially from artists that put a lot into their music but because they are not ‘mainstream’ get very little recognition. “Folk music is a deep rooted tradition and culture within Britain that covers such a wide and diverse musical range from the Levellers though to your local artist at the folk club who has just brought out his first CD. The Blues is a part of folk as well and some say we would not have had folk music if it was not for the blues. We definitely would not have had the Beatles and the Stones if it had not been for Lead Belly and then Lonnie Donnigan.”
Richard Harris has had a love of music of all kinds since he was a child. His dad was in a folk band in the 60’s (“When folk was King!” says his Mum) and Richard learnt to play guitar and banjo during his teens from borrowing his dad’s old instruments. He continues to play at local folk clubs around Somerset with the same instruments. Richard remembers listening to Luxemberg Radio late on a Sunday night from an old large valve amp radio that would cast out light across his room through the tuning dial from the old valve amp glowing comfortably in the back.
Still at primary school Richard discovered John Peel, John Walters, Tommy Vance and Alexis Corner and again would often fall asleep to the sounds of this quality music. “There were not a lot of ten-year olds in the playground that listened to John Peel!” he says. Once Richard’s parents cottoned onto his late-night radio listening he would use his small transistor radio as a pillow and fall asleep to the weird and wonderful tunes that these presenters would play.
Richard is also a keen Morris dancer. (another pastime he picked up from his Dad). “I enjoy the tradition and the music that goes with it”. Richard has been dancing for Priston Jubilee Morris for over 10 years. He is keen to keep English traditions alive and kicking and says he would welcome any new people who are interested in giving Morris dancing a go.
Richard appears with permission, courtesy of Somer Valley FM.
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