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Ewan MacColl

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Vocalist

The Resume

    (January 25, 1915-October 22, 1989)
    Born in Broughton, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
    Birth name was James Henry Miller
    Folksinger/songwriter
    Songs included ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,’ ‘Dirty Old Town,’ ‘The Manchester Rambler,’ ‘Van Dieman’s Land,’ ‘The Ballad of Tim Evans (Go Down You Murderer)’ and ‘Daddy, What Did You Do in the Strike?’
    Father of singer Kirsty MacColl

Why he might be annoying:

    He deserted from the British army during World War II.
    He left the mother of two of his children for singer Peggy Seeger, who was two decades his junior.
    He hated every version of ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ except the ones he and Peggy Seeger recorded, claiming they were lacking in grace.
    He dismissed Bob Dylan as ‘tenth-rate drivel.’
    Near the end of his life, he became disillusioned with the Soviet Union – because he felt it was ‘not communist or socialist enough.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was also a playwright whose work was praised by George Bernard Shaw.
    His left-wing politics resulted in MI5 keeping a watch on his house and the BBC banning his songs.
    He was a key figure in the folk revival in Britain, collecting and performing traditional ballads.
    He won the Grammy for Song of the Year for ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.’
    At his 70th birthday, National Union of Mineworkers President Arthur Scargill presented him with a miner’s lamp to show the union’s appreciation for his support.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 103 Votes: 65.05% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 90 Votes: 61.11% Annoying