Iain Matthews

The show will follow the story of Iain’s life, from a Scunthorpe childhood obsessed with football and music, to thrusting himself into the heart of Carnaby Street in the swinging-sixties. In 1967, he was recruited as lead vocalist for folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention before embarking on a hugely successful and prolific career as a solo artist and in the groups Matthews Southern Comfort and Plainsong, including a No. 1 ht single with ‘Woodstock’. In 1973, when an invitation was extended to record in LA with ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith, Iain took it with open arms. The opportunity to work with musicians and song-writers he had admired from afar led him to stay; he lived and worked in the USA for the next 27 years, through highs and lows, with extended stints in Los Angeles, Seattle and Austin. In 2000, in an an act of personal and professional renewal, he moved to the Netherlands, where he still lives and works to this day. Throughout those fifty years, Iain has never stopped working, with music driving him forward every step of the way. The show will be a highly entertaining and intimate occasion, rich in stories and wonderful live music, presenting the story of an artistic life through the eyes of one of our most enduring singer-songwriters.

Ian Clayton is an author, broadcaster and storyteller from Featherstone, West Yorkshire. His stories are about making sense of where we come from. His books include Bringing It All Back Home, a bestselling book about music; Song For My Father about his lifelong search for a father figure; Our Billie about loss; and most recently It’s The Beer Talking about a life in public houses and ale.

I value the times Iain has been my fellow traveller in music. He is one of the great folk/rock/pop singers and writers, and his life and music trajectory have both been extraordinary … and he keeps getting better.
Richard Thompson. OBE – Recording artist, Fairport Convention founding member

They say if you remember the sixties, you probably weren’t there. Iain Matthews was there and he remembers most of it. It’s wonderful to hear about it through his eyes. Better yet, he’s still around, writing and singing as well as he ever did.
Cerys Matthews – Broadcaster and recording artist

Iain Matthews’s career has been a remarkable adventure, from Scunthorpe to Muswell Hill to ‘Woodstock’ to Texas to the Netherlands, making wonderful music at every stop.
Joe Boyd – Author and record producer

Iain Matthews has been many things during his long and distinguished career; folk-rock pioneer, hitmaker, folk artist and songwriter among them. It has been my pleasure to have known and worked with him for half a century, and he’s still going strong. Long may he continue!

Al Stewart – Songwriter and recording artist