Profile of Davy Graham on Famous Like Me

Davey Graham (originally Davy Graham, b. 22 November 1940) is a virtuoso guitarist who is credited with sparking the folk-rock revolution in the UK in the 60's. He inspired most of the famous practitioners of the fingerstyle acoustic guitar, such as Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy, and even Jimmy Page. One way he came to the attention of guitarists was through a 1959 feature item in the BBC TV news program Monitor. The segment was produced by Ken Russell.

He introduced the DADGAD guitar tuning to British guitarists, though it is not clear if it originated with him. Its main attraction was that it allowed the guitarist more freedom to improvise in the treble while maintaining a solid underlying harmony and rhythm in the bass. While 'non-standard', or 'non-classical' tuning was widely practiced by guitarists before this, especially Blues and Slide guitar players, his use of DADGAD introduced a second standard tuning to guitarists.

During the 60's he released a string of eclectic albums with music from all around the world in all kinds of genres.

His most famous piece, at least for aspiring guitarists, is the acoustic solo tune Anji, also known as Angi, or Angie. The spelling Anji is most popular, as this is the way it appeared on Simon and Garfunkel's album Sounds of Silence.

He was the subject of a 2005 BBC Radio documentary Whatever happened to Davy Graham ?

His continuous touring of the world, picking up and then recording different styles of music for the guitar, has resulted in many musicians crediting him with founding World Music.

Unfortunately he also became addicted to drugs in the 60's, to the point where, like Syd Barrett he ceased to function as a performer and could no longer get work. The rest of his life has been lived in poverty and obscurity. He currently resides in London.

discography

• - 3/4 AD (EP) (1961)
• - From a London Hotenanny (EP)(*) (1963)
• - The Guitar Player (1963)
• - Folk, Blues and Beyond (1964)
• - Midnight Man (1966)
• - After Hours (**) (1967)
• - Large as Life and Twice as Natural (1968)
• - Hat (1969)
• - Holly Kaleidoscope (1970)
• - Goddington Boundary (1970)
• - All that Moody (1976)
• - The Complete Guitarist (1978)
• - Dance for Two People (1979)
• - The Guitar Player ... Plus (1996)
• - Playing in the Traffic

• (* The Thameside Four and Davy Graham)
• (** Issued in 1997, recorded at Hull University)

Collaboration: Shirley Collins and Davy Graham.

• - Folk Roots, New Routes (1965)

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