Harry Cox

Harry Cox was a lifelong farm laborer and folk singer from a small village in North Norfolk. Born in 1885, he achieved regional fame as a performer early in his life, after being discovered by the English composer E.J. Moeran in the '20s, but it was not until after World War II that his recordings would bring him broader recognition. The boom in documentation of folk music that was inspired by Alan Lomax and his ilk in the '50s brought about a new appreciation of the traditional music of the British Isles, and Cox won respect as one of the best preservers of that tradition. Blessed with a rich, deep singing voice and a love for music, he would make several recordings and exert a great influence the next wave of British folk musicians — '60s bands like the Fairport Convention. His death in 1971 brought about the end of a career that spanned more than 50 years. In the spring of 2000 a retrospective of his music was issued by the Alan Lomax Collection. Entitled What Will Become of England? the album was issued by Rounder Records. Bonny Labouring Boy appeared in early 2001.