Shirley Collins, folk singer
Shirley Collins, folk singer, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury that she would take with her if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.
Shirley Collins first enjoyed success as one of the leading figures in the British folk revival of the 1960s. She initially performed with her sister, Dolly Collins, and also collaborated with other folk luminaries to create some of the era’s most beloved albums. In the past decade she has made an acclaimed return to the concert stage and the recording studio.
Shirley was born in Sussex in 1935. She can still recall how her grandfather used to sing folk songs to comfort her while they were sheltering during German air raids in the early 1940s.
Alongside her career as a singer, in the 1950s she travelled to the American South with Alan Lomax, where they made field recordings of blues and folk musicians, helping to create a significant archive.
Later in her performing career, Shirley found that she could no longer sing, following a distressing betrayal in her private life. She stepped away from music and was silent for many years, taking on other work, including a stint in a job centre Then, in her 80s, she found her voice again. In 2016 she released her first new album after a gap of almost four decades, and she has since released two more albums.
Shirley lives in Sussex, not far from her childhood home.
DISC ONE: Chiling O Guiry - Concerto Caledonia
DISC TWO: The Birds in the Spring - The Copper Family
DISC THREE: Who Would True Valour See - Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band
DISC FOUR: Dear Father, Pray Build Me a Boat - Sheila Smith
DISC FIVE: 61 Highway Blues - Mississippi Fred McDowell
DISC SIX: Poor Sally Sits a-weeping - Dolly Collins
DISC SEVEN: A Heart Needs A Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ - Richard & Linda Thompson
DISC EIGHT: Going Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ - Mark Knopfler
BOOK CHOICE: A collection of Brodie detective novels by Kate Atkinson
LUXURY ITEM: A solar powered fridge filled with Italian Ice cream and two lipsticks
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Poor Sally Sits a Weeping
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor
Last on
More episodes
Music Played
-
Concerto Caledonia
Chiling O Guiry
- The Red Red Rose: Songs & Tunes from 18th Century Scotland.
- Delphian Records.
- 4.
-
The Copper Family
The Birds in the Spring
- Come Write Me Down.
- Topic Records.
- 11.
-
Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band
Who Would True Valour See
- Sing Lustily and with Good Courage.
- Saydisc.
- 1.
-
Sheila Smith
Dear Father, Pray Build Me a Boat
- I’m a Romany Rai.
- Topic.
- 9.
-
Mississippi Fred McDowell
61 Highway Blues
- Southern Journey Vol 3: 61 Highway Mississippi.
- Rounder.
- 3.
-
Dolly Collins
Poor Sally Sits a-weeping
- Harking Back.
- Durtro.
- 21.
-
Richard & Linda Thompson
A Heart Needs A Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
- Hokey Pokey.
- Island Records.
- 9.
-
Mark Knopfler
Going Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
- Local Hero.
- UMC (Universal Music Catalogue).
- 14.
Broadcasts
- Sun 6 Aug 2023 11:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Fri 11 Aug 2023 09:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 20 Oct 2024 10:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM
- Fri 25 Oct 2024 09:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM
Listen to over 2,000 programmes
Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.
Articles
Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.
Podcast
-
Desert Island Discs
Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.