Tim Hart is also the name of the original Theory of a Deadman drummer.

Tim Hart
Born	9 January 1948(1948-01-09) Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England
Died	24 December 2009 (aged 61) La Gomera, Canary Islands
Genres	Electric folk
Occupations	Musician, singer, writer, photographer
Years active	1966–1988, 1995, 2008
Associated acts	Steeleye Span

Tim Hart (9 January 1948 - 24 December 2009) was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of electric folk band, Steeleye Span.

Contents 1 Early years 2 Steeleye Span 3 The fragmentation 4 The Journey 5 Illness and death 6 Discography 7 References

[edit] Early years

Tim Hart was born in Lincoln. His father, Rev. Canon Dennis Hart, was the vicar of St Saviour's in St Albans. Hart began his life as a musician performing with the Rattfinks, St Albans School's second band, the first being The Zombies. In 1966, he began performing with the Blackpool born Maddy Prior, touring English folk clubs. In 1968 and 1969 the duo recorded two albums: Folk Songs of Olde England, (Volumes One and Two).

[edit] Steeleye Span

From 1970 to 1982, Hart and Prior were the backbone of Steeleye Span. In 1971, as well as recording two albums as part of Steeleye Span, they recorded Summer Solstice - a much more professional recording than their first two albums, including a string arrangement by Robert Kirby, better known for his work with Nick Drake. Almost every song that Hart sang was traditional. Steeleye Span's commercial success peaked in 1975. They toured in the United States and Australia and used electric instruments more frequently. However, further hits eluded them. They announced that their 1978 tour of the United Kingdom would be their farewell.

[edit] The fragmentation

Hart took this opportunity to release a solo album, Tim Hart, in 1979. Several Steeleye Span members such as Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp contributed on vocals and instruments.^[1] Bob Johnson and Peter Knight recorded a narrative project in 1977. Maddy outdid them all by producing two solo albums in 1978, including her own compositions. Hart appeared on one more Steeleye Span record, Sails of Silver, before resigning in 1982. His last gig was at the Theatre Royal, Norwich.

In 1981 Hart released two albums of nursery rhymes originally written for his own children on the Music for Pleasure label. He used most of Steeleye Span, and other musicians who had small children and could take the project seriously. In a bold move, he became a record producer for a rock band, The Monochrome Set. Their album Eligible Bachelors was a whimsical cynical view of relations between the sexes.

Hart's health seriously declined, and in 1988 he emigrated to La Gomera, a small island in the Canary Islands. Abandoning music altogether, he became full time writer and photographer, married again, built himself a house on the side of a mountain, and restored his health. As there was no guidebook to La Gomera available in English, Hart wrote, and took most of the photographs for, La Gomera: A Guide to the Unspoiled Canary Island (2004).

[edit] The Journey

In 1995, Hart was persuaded to return to the United Kingdom for a five-hour marathon performance. It was a concert in aid of the charity War Child, and featured almost every member of Steeleye Span. A recording of the concert, The Journey did not appear until 1999. For many years he did not perform outside of La Gomera. However, Hart performed with Maddy Prior as part of the BBC Electric Proms on 23 October 2008.^[2]

[edit] Illness and death

During Steeleye Span's 2009 winter tour, it was announced that Park Records would be reissuing Hart's recordings of nursery rhymes in order to support him through his illness. In December 2008, Hart was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, and returned to England with his wife Conny to seek continuing medical treatment.^[3] He and his wife returned to their home in La Gomera in early December 2009, where he died peacefully in the early morning of 24 December 2009, aged 61.^[4]

[edit] Discography

Tim Hart

• Tim Hart (1979)

Tim Hart and Maddy Prior

• Folk Songs of Olde England Vol. 1 (1968)
• Folk Songs of Olde England Vol. 2 (1968)
• Summer Solstice (1971)

Tim Hart and Friends

• My Very Favourite Nursery Rhymes (1981)
• The Drunken Sailor and other Kids Favourites (1983)

[edit] References

v • d • e Steeleye Span Maddy Prior • Peter Knight • Rick Kemp • Liam Genockey • Ken Nicol Pete Zorn • Tim Hart • Bob Johnson • Nigel Pegrum • Ashley Hutchings • Martin Carthy • Tim Harries • Terry Woods • Gay Woods • John Kirkpatrick • Chris Staines • Terl Bryant • Michael Gregory • Mark Williamson Studio albums Hark! The Village Wait (1970) • Please to See the King (1971) • Ten Man Mop, or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again (1972) • Below the Salt (1972) • Parcel of Rogues (1973) • Now We Are Six (1974) • Commoner's Crown (1975) • All Around My Hat (1975) • Rocket Cottage (1976) • Storm Force Ten (1977) • Sails of Silver (1980) • Back in Line (1986) • Tempted and Tried (1989) • Time (1996) • Horkstow Grange (1998) • Bedlam Born (2000) • They Called Her Babylon (2004) • Winter (2004) • Bloody Men (2006) • Cogs, Wheels & Lovers (2009) Live albums Live at Last (1978) • Tonight's the Night...Live (1992) • The Collection: Steeleye Span in Concert (1994) • The Journey (1999) • Folk Rock Pioneers in Concert (2006)  • Live at a Distance (2009) Singles "Rave On/ Reels/ Female Drummer" (1971) • "Jigs and Reels" (1972) • "John Barleycorn / Bride's Favourite/Tansey's Fancy" (1972) • "Gaudete / The Holly and The Ivy" (1972) • "The Mooncoin Jig" (1974) • "New York Girls/ Two Magicians" (1975) • "All Around My Hat/ Black Jack Davy" (1975) • "Rave On/ False Knight On The Road" (1976) • "Hard Times of England/ Cadgwith Anthem" (1976) • "London/ Sligo Maid" (1976) • "Fighting For Strangers/ The Mooncoin Jig" (1976) • "The Boar's Head Carol/ Gaudete / Some Rival" (1977) • "Rag Doll/ Saucy Sailor" (1978) • "Sails of Silver/ Senior Service" (1980) • "Gone To America/ Let Her Go Down" (1981) • "Somewhere In London/ Lanercost" (1985) • "Padstow / First House in Connaught/ Sailor's Bonnet" (1989) • "Following Me/ Two Butchers" (1989) • "The Fox/ Jack Hall" (1990)  • "Lord Elgin/Lord Elgin (live)" (2006) Compilation Present--The Very Best of Steeleye Span (2002) DVDs Classic Rock Legends (2002) • A Twentieth Anniversary Celebration (2003) • The 35th Anniversary World Tour 2004 (2005) Related articles The King of Elfland's Daughter (1977)