Sam Larner

Sam Larner was the living embodiment of the folk tradition. A herring fisherman from the age of twelve, he built an extremely huge repertoire of folk songs and sea chantys that he sang while asea. Larner's reputation as a folk singer spread until his tale was taken up by folksingers Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker who used him as an inspiration for their radio ballad, "Singing The Fishing," in 1960. Broadcast by the BBC, the story of Larner's life and the songs he collected made him a folk hero in England. The radio ballad became the basis for two albums - Now Is...