chrisf Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 The following was posted on Facebook earlier today on the Fairport Cropredy Convention page: "We have just had the sad news from Alex Swarbrick that his father, Dave Swarbrick, has passed away. Swarb, as you know, had been seriously ill for some time and, although he had showed recent signs of improvement, died in hospital this morning. Our thoughts right now are with his wife Jill and the Swarbrick family." Dave Swarbrick was 75. 17 years ago a national newspaper printed his obituary by mistake. RIP to another fine and charismatic musician. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted June 3, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 3, 2016 RIP Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 It must have been 25 years ago when I saw Fairport with Swarbs at Cropedy. It had just been annnounced that he was suffering from emphysema, and knowing something of that complaint on a personal basis, I honestly thought I'd be seeing his obituary in the Guardian within a fairly short while. He certainly didn't look well, though he played a blinder; the energy he put into his set belied the gravity of his condition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 3, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 3, 2016 My recollection is that DS had suffered serious health issues years ago from playing the electric fiddle. He was one of Deb's favourites, and she was at Cropredy every year from 1979 until 2012, except 2011 when she was in dock with cancer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Dave Swarbrick was one of the finest folk fiddlers I've ever listened to, and it's pretty clear - especially during his Fairport Convention days - that he gave it absolutely everything to the point where he was signing cheques that his health couldn't (or shouldn't) cash. What gave him that extra frisson was that, as mentioned above, he was one of the few people who have had the (dis)pleasure of reading his/her own obituary, and dined out on it thereafter! He famously said that it wasn't the first time he'd died in Coventry. The Telegraph's online obit is, this time round, not premature. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 My recollection is that DS had suffered serious health issues years ago from playing the electric fiddle. He was one of Deb's favourites, and she was at Cropredy every year from 1979 until 2012, except 2011 when she was in dock with cancer. It wasn't the electric violin, rather the fag which rested, seemingly permanently, under the strings near the bridge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iak Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Another great gone... WIBBLE! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeeleyBridge Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Sad news indeed. A fine chap with a wicked sense of humour. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted June 4, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2016 Fine fiddler and always had a good line in chat. First amazed by his playing in the Ian Campbell days in Birmingham pubs, saw him several times in Fairport, also with Simon Nichol and solo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted June 4, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2016 My recollection is that DS had suffered serious health issues years ago from playing the electric fiddle. He was one of Deb's favourites, and she was at Cropredy every year from 1979 until 2012, except 2011 when she was in dock with cancer.He said that he went back to acoustic playing because he was suffering hearing damage from high power electric music and feared that it was affecting his playing ability. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 ....I honestly thought I'd be seeing his obituary in the Guardian within a fairly short while. .... Radio 4 interviewed him a few months before his death and asked him how he'd like to be remembered, to which he replied: "It's all a mistake!!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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