Maddy Prior

Madelaine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk rock singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to St Albans in her teens. Her father, Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police drama Z-Cars. She was married to Steeleye bass guitarist Rick Kemp, and their daughter, Rose Kemp, is also a singer. Their son, Alex Kemp, is, like his father, a guitarist and has deputised for his father playing bass guitar for Steeleye Span. She was part of the singing duo 'Mac & Maddy', with Mac MacLeod. She then performed with Tim Hart and recorded two albums with him, before they helped to found the group Steeleye Span, in 1969. She left Steeleye Span in 1997, but returned in 2002, and has toured with them since. With June Tabor she was the singing duo Silly Sisters. She toured with the Carnival Band, in 2007, and with Giles Lewin and Hannah James, in 2012 and 2013. She has released singles and albums as a solo artist, with these bands and in several collaborations. She runs an Arts Centre called Stones Barn, in Bewcastle, in Cumbria, which offers residential courses.
==Links to Peel==
After a brief stint with Mac MacLeod in 'Mac & Maddy' (another act formed at The Cockpub), by 1966 she began performing with Tim Hart, another St Albans resident. The duo attracted Peel's attention and they did two sessions for his shows between 1968 and 1971. Both Tim and Maddy were regarded as the backbone of Steeleye Span, a group that Peel played regularly on his shows. 
Maddy was also one half of the duo Silly Sisters, which helped to boost June Tabor's career and both women did a joint session in 1975 for Peel's programme.
Peel, according to available tracklistings on this site, didn't seem to play Maddy Prior's solo material, but did ultimately play songs that she was in collaboration with.
==Sessions==
* Also ten sessions with Steeleye Span (1970-74)
;thumb|220x220pxTim Hart and Maddy Prior
1. Recorded: 1968-12-17. First Broadcast: 01 January 1969
*The Horn Of The Hunter / Who's The Fool Now / Queen Eleanor's Confession / Adam and Eve / Oats And Beans And Barley / Turkey And Rhubarb
2. Recorded: 1971-07-27. First Broadcast: 04 September 1971. Repeated: 03 November 1971
*Serving Girls' Holiday / Seamus The Showman / Saucey Sailor / Polly On The Shore / I Live Not Where I Love (track was broadcast on 1971-11-03)
;Silly Sisters (Maddy Prior & June Tabor)
1. Recorded: 1975-09-23. First Broadcast: 20 October 1975. Repeated: 10 December 1975, 27 December 1976
*Four Loom Weaver / The Seven Joys Of Mary / Singing The Travels / The Doffin' Mistress
==Other Shows Played==
*See plays also for Steeleye Span
;thumb|220x220px1969
*30 April 1969 (& Tim Hart): Who's The Fool Now (album - Folk Songs Of Old England Vol. 1) Tepee
;1976
*19 March 1976 (& June Tabor): Lass Of Loch Royal (album - Silly Sisters) Chrysalis
*29 March 1976 (& June Tabor): Singing The Travels (Symondsbury Mummers) (LP - Silly Sisters) Chrysalis ("now we go to the Silly Sisters, Maddy Prior and June Tabor, the noted librarian...")
== See Also ==
* Gigography 1975
*Sounds
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists