So I just had an email from my sister asking if I’d heard the news and I hadn’t and now I’m a little sad.

The news was that British folk singer John Martyn had died at the, tragically young, age of 60. Though when you consider the life he led, the fact that he had to have his right leg amputated in 2003 (something which was captured in an incredible documentary which I’m sure will now be aired again) and what happened to his friend & contemporary (and subject of his most famous song, Solid Air) Nick Drake, I guess we should be grateful we got to keep him for as long as we did.

I may or may not write more about the great John Martyn at some point in the future but in the meantime, you should track down his classic album Solid Air. Or, at the very least, listen to the wonderful May You Never (from that album) which is at the top of this post. It has one of the most beautiful lyrics I’ve ever heard:

May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold

Although my favourite track from Solid Air is the amazing Over The Hill I can’t find any videos of that (though it is on Spotify). So, in keeping with this blog’s fascination with cover versions, I’ll leave you with Martyn’s amazing cover of Glory Box by Portishead as well as a song that he wrote called Sweet Little Mystery which went on to be covered by a bunch of lads from Glasgow called Wet Wet Wet: