Leon Rosselson - Biography

Born 1934 in Harrow, Middlesex. Ostensibly a singer-songwriter with acoustic guitar, but has worked in a variety of fields and recorded in various styles. Leon began recording in his mid-20s as session guitarist on a few folk records and then as a member of the folk group The Galliards,

In the mid-1960s, Rosselson formed The Three City Four for whom he wrote several songs. Simultaneously he was establishing himself as a writer and solo performer of topical, satirical songs, many with biting political or social content. By the end of the decade he'd released a handful of solo records, before taking a sabatical from recording to work on stage productions, community theatre and other projects for around five years.

He re-emerged as a recording artist in the mid-1970s and proceeded to collaborate closely with Roy Bailey on a run of three LPs. By 1980 he was ready to record his new material solo again, although his albums would usually feature collaborators forming a close circle, including Martin Carthy, Roy Bailey, Fiz Shapur, and others. Rosselson also formed his own record label, Fuse Records.

In the 1990s his recorded output slowed, but he has continued to release albums every few years, working still with old friends and, often, the songwriter Robb Johnson. In the 1990s he also branched into writing children's stories, and has seen around 20 children's books published.

In recent years Rosselson has lamented how his songs have failed to make him rich and famous - but he is highly regarded as a songwriter and has a solid following among those familiar with his output. His material has been covered by notable acts such as Martin Carthy, Billy Bragg, Chumbawumba, Martin Simpson and others. His failure to make a bigger name for himself is usually put down to the fact that his songs are uncomfortably sharp when attacking society's power structures and the institutions of government, plus the fact that England shows little interest in what the French call 'chansons' - songs which are word-driven and realist in subject matter.

At the time of writing (2013) Rosselson has released around 20 studio albums, and a few CD compilations. He has been performing regular live gigs for more than 50 years and has released several live recordings made in folk clubs and similar venues.

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