- Dolly Collins
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Dorothy Ann Collins, known as Dolly Collins (6 March 1933 – 22 September 1995), was an English folk musician, arranger and composer. She was the older sister of Shirley Collins.
Born in Hastings, East Sussex, she grew up in an artistic, socialist, folk singing family. She learned the piano at school, and then studied with composer Alan Bush while taking odd jobs in London, including working as a bus conductor. In the mid 1960s she began working with her sister Shirley, who was establishing a reputation as a leading folk singer. She arranged some of Shirley's songs and, on the album Sweet Primroses, accompanied her on positive organ.
Further work with Shirley followed: Shirley said "You could launch yourself off on a Dolly arrangement." In 1968 they produced the album Anthems in Eden, commissioned by BBC Radio and written for a six-piece early music consort directed by David Munrow, and regularly toured together. Dolly also worked as a musician and arranger with other singers and bands, including The Incredible String Band on The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1967), Matthews' Southern Comfort on their debut album (1969), and Peter Bellamy on the ballad opera The Transports (1977).
By the late 1970s she retreated from touring and live concerts, and earned a living from gardening. Her last recordings were with Shirley on the album For As Many as Will (1978). She continued to compose, however, and just before her death she completed a cycle of First World War poems and a new mass written with the poet Maureen Duffy. She died at home in Balcombe, West Sussex.
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Albion Band Francis Baines · Phil Beer · Martin Bell · Dave Bland · Joe Broughton · Pete Bullock · Bill Caddick · Simon Care · Martin Carthy · Dolly Collins · Shirley Collins · Lol Coxhill · Trevor Crozier · Barry Dransfield · Howard Evans · Trevor Foster · Tony Hall · Sue Harris · Keith Hinchcliffe · Eric Hine · Ashley Hutchings · Nic Jones · John Kirkpatrick · Chris Leslie · Cathy Lesurf · Alan Lumsden · Neil Marshall · Dave Mattacks · Julie Matthews · John Maxwell · Steve Migden · Doug Morter · Ken Nicol · Simon Nicol · Gillie Nicholls · Philip Pickett · Roger Powell · Maddy Prior · Brian Protheroe · Jean-Pierre Rasle · Ashley Reed · Tim Renwick · John Rodd · Colin Ross · Ric Sanders · Steve Saunders · John Shepherd · Martin Simpson · John Sothcott · Roger Swallow · John Tams · Graeme Taylor · Linda Thompson · Richard Thompson · Eddie Upton · Lal and Mike Waterson · Dave Whetstone · Chris While · Kellie While · Ian Whiteman · Royston Woods · Pete Zorn
DiscographyStudio albums Shirley Collins and The Albion Country Band: No Roses (1971) · The Albion Country Band: Battle of the Field (1976) · The Albion Dance Band: The Prospect Before Us (1977) · The Albion Band: Rise Up Like the Sun (1978) · Keith Dewhurst & The Albion Band: Lark Rise to Candleford (1980) · The Albion Band: Light Shining (1983) · Shuffle Off (1983) · Under The Rose (1984) · A Christmas Present from the Albion Band (1985) · Stella Maris (1987) · The Albion Band with Chris Baines: The Wild Side of Town (1987) · I Got New Shoes (1988) · Give Me a Saddle, I'll Trade You a Car (1989) · The Best of 1989/90 (1990) · Songs from the Shows, v. 1 (1990) · Songs from the Shows, v. 2 (1991) · Acousticity (1993) · Captured (1995) · Albion Heart (1995) · Demi Paradise (1996) · Songs From The Shows (1997) · Happy Accident (1998) · BBC Sessions (1998) · Before Us Stands Yesterday (1999) · Christmas Album (1999) · Road Movies (2001)
Singles Hopping Down in Kent / Merry Sherwood Rangers (1976) · The Postman's Knock / La Sexte Estampie Real (1977) · Poor Old Horse / Ragged Heroes (1978) · Pain and Paradise / Lay Me Low (1979) · Wings (1998)
Live albums The Albion Band Live in Concert (1993) · Live at the Cambridge Folk Festival (1998) · An Evening with The Albion Band (2002) · Acousticity on Tour (2004) · Albion Heart on Tour (2004) The Albion Band Live in Concert (2007) Vintage Albion Band (2007)
Compilations The Acoustic Years 1993-97 (1997) · Along the Pilgrims Way (1998) · The Best of 89/90 (1998) · Albion Heart (1999) · The HTD Years (2000) · No Surrender (2003) · Albion Sunrise - HTD Recordings: 1994-1999 (2004)
Related articles Categories:- 1933 births
- 1995 deaths
- People from Hastings
- English folk musicians
- Electric folk musicians
- English composers
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