Madeleine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk rock singer, best known as the lead vocalist of

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, ...

. She was born in Blackpool and moved to

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

in her teens. Her father,

Allan Prior Allan Prior (13 January 1922, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, – 1 June 2006) was an England, English television scriptwriter and novelist, who wrote over 300 television episodes from the 1950s onwards. He was founder-writer of influen ...

, was co-creator of the police drama ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

''. She was married to Steeleye bass guitarist

Rick Kemp Frederick Stanley 'Rick' Kemp (born 15 November 1941) is an English bass player, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and record producer, best known for his work with the British folk rock band Steeleye Span. Projects In the 1960s, he shot to prom ...

, and their daughter,

Rose Kemp Rose Kemp is an English singer and guitarist who performs in a variety of musical genres. She is the daughter of Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp of the folk-rock band Steeleye Span. Singing career Kemp began her singing career performing live wit ...

, is also a singer. Their son, Alex Kemp, is also 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 Keith "Mac" MacLeod (9 July 1941 – 16 November 2020), was an English musician who was a part of the Hertfordshire folk and blues scene from 1959 onwards. He played in St Albans alongside Mick Softley and Maddy Prior and toured with John Re ...

. She then performed with

Tim Hart Tim Hart (9 January 1948 – 24 December 2009) was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of British folk rock band Steeleye Span. Early years Tim Hart was born in Lincoln, England, but moved to St A ...

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 June Tabor (born 31 December 1947 in Warwick, England) is an English folk singer known for her solo work and her earlier collaborations with Maddy Prior and with Oysterband. Early life June Tabor was born and grew up in Warwick, England. ...

she was the singing duo Silly Sisters. She toured with the Carnival Band, in 2007, and with

Giles Lewin Giles Lewin is a British violinist and bagpiper. Currently a member of The Carnival Band, he was also a founding member of the folk band, Bellowhead. Biography He was born in Essex in 1960 or slightly earlier. At age nine, he sang the female ...

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 Bewcastle is a large civil parish in the Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England. It is in the historic county of Cumberland. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 411, reducing to 391 at the 2011 Census. ...

, in Cumbria, which offers residential courses.

Early life

Born in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

, Prior moved in her teens to

, where she befriended the young Donovan Leitch and

in ''The Cock'' pub. She later formed a duo with MacLeod called 'Mac & Maddy'. She became a roadie for visiting American musicians, including

Reverend Gary Davis Gary D. Davis (April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972), known as Reverend Gary Davis and Blind Gary Davis, was a blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica. Born in Laurens, South Carolina and blind since infanc ...

. They gave her useful advice about singing English folk songs instead of American songs. Her father,

, was co-creator of the police drama ''

'', and wrote ''Stookie'', a 6-part series for television, about a boy with his arm in a sling. Maddy sang the title song, which was released as a single in 1985. It reappeared on the Steeleye Span album ''A Rare Collection 1972 – 1996''.

Singing career

After a brief stint with Mac MacLeod in 'Mac & Maddy' (another act formed at ''The Cock'' pub), by 1966 she began performing with

, another St Albans resident, and together they recorded two albums before becoming founding members of

in 1969. They were the backbone of the group until the early 1980s when ill-health forced Hart into semi-retirement. Prior plays the

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...

spoons Spoons may refer to: * Spoon, a utensil commonly used with soup * Spoons (card game), the card game of Donkey, but using spoons Film and TV * ''Spoons'' (TV series), a 2005 UK comedy sketch show *Spoons, a minor character from ''The Sopranos' ...

and ukulele, and always gives a sprightly performance of her individual dances. In 1974

Ralph McTell Ralph McTell (born Ralph May; 3 December 1944) is an English singer-songwriter and guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s. McTell is best known for his song " Streets of London" (1969), which ...

wrote "Maddy Dances" in her honour, included on his album ''Easy''. Prior married bassist

, though they have since divorced. The singer

is their daughter. Prior has recorded session work, albums of her own songs and eclectic styles from medieval (with The Carnival Band), through

British folk rock British folk rock is a form of folk rock which developed in the United Kingdom from the mid 1960s, and was at its most significant in the 1970s. Though the merging of folk and rock music came from several sources, it is widely regarded that the ...

— Steeleye Span and Maddy Prior appeared on television with a regular BBC 4 programme ''Electric Folk'' —

prog-rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...

and

traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

songs, including session work on

Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...

's ''

Incantations An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial rit ...

''. She left Steeleye Span in 1997 but returned in 2002. The 1999 album ''The Journey'' was recorded in 1995, when Maddy was still in the band, but not released until four years later. She was also one half of the duo Silly Sisters, which helped to boost

's career. Since 2003 Prior has run and hosted an Arts Centre called Stones Barn in

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...

. Working with fellow singers and performers like Abbie Lathe and daughter Rose Kemp, Prior has offered residential courses focusing on singing, meditation, cookery and performance. Other events, hosted by other teachers, include classical Indian dances, painting and drumming. Prior campaigns on behalf of the charity

Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organisation. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...

. In 1983, Maddy Prior became the namesake for

Madelyne Pryor Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, the character first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #168 (April 19 ...

of the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...

, created by

Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...

and

Paul Smith Paul Smith is the name of: Music * Paul Smith (composer) (1906–1985), American film music composer * Paul Smith (pianist) (1922–2013), Los Angeles jazz pianist * Paul Smith (English singer) (born 1979), vocalist and songwriter of British in ...

. The band was directly referenced five years after Pryor's first appearance in the comics in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #238 with Pryor's child self singing a line from "Gone to America", one of Steeleye Span's biggest hits. Claremont had previously named a one-shot character "Maddy Pryor" in ''Avengers Annual'' #10 (1981).

Recent tours and albums

Maddy Prior took to the road with The Carnival Band in May 2007 for their "Music for Tavern and Chapel" tour. They celebrated the 300th anniversary of one of the key influences on their work,

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English Anglican cleric and a principal leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It ...

. She made a guest appearance with

The Levellers The Levellers were a political movement active during the English Civil War who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its populism, as sh ...

at the

Solfest Solfest is a music and arts festival on the Solway Coast in the North West of England. It is held annually at North Lakes Country Park on the August Bank Holiday weekend. It has grown from a 1,800 capacity event in 2004 to a 10,000 capacity ...

Festival in Cumbria in August 2007. On recent solo albums

Troy Donockley Troy Donockley (born 30 May 1964) is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of Uilleann pipes. Having performed with many artists as a session player, he is most notable as a member of Finnish symphonic metal ba ...

has been a co-producer. In December 2007 the Carnival Band album ''Ringing The Changes'' was issued. It is a collection of songs written by the band. In 2008 Maddy Prior appeared at the BBC's "Electric Proms". Steeleye Span toured the Eastern US, Australia and the UK beginning in 2009. With Giles Lewin and Hannah James, Prior completed two successful UK tours, in the spring and autumn of 2012, with a third, in autumn 2013. In November and December 2013 Prior toured with

, on the Wintersmith Tour, following the release in October of their album

Wintersmith ''Wintersmith'' is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set in the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlik ...

, a collaborative project based on the novel of the same name by

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

. A short tour with The Carnival Band in November and December, featuring carols and seasonal music, has become an annual fixture for Prior since 1984. The 2024 tour (the 40th annual tour) was the final tour.

Awards

In 2001 Maddy Prior was awarded the MBE for services to folk music. In 2014 she received an Honorary Fellowship from the

University of Cumbria The University of Cumbria is a public university in Cumbria, with its headquarters in Carlisle and other major campuses in Lancaster, Ambleside, and London. It has roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, establi ...

Discography

With Steeleye Span

Prior was on all the Steeleye Span albums from ''Hark! The Village Wait'' (1970) to ''Time'' (1996). She then returned for ''

Present – The Very Best of Steeleye Span The present is the period of time that is occurring now. The present is contrasted with the past, the period of time that has already occurred; and the future, the period of time that has yet to occur. It is sometimes represented as a hyperplane ...

'' (2002) and subsequent albums.

Solo albums

*''

Woman in the Wings A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional uteruses ...

'' (1978) *''Changing Winds'' (1978) *'' Hooked on Winning'' (1982) *'' Going for Glory'' (1983) *''

Happy Families Happy families is a traditional British card game usually with a specially made set of picture cards, featuring illustrations of fictional families of four, most often based on profession, occupation types. The object of the game, which is simi ...

'' (as 'Maddy Prior and

') (1990) *''

Year A year is a unit of time based on how long it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun. In scientific use, the tropical year (approximately 365 Synodic day, solar days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds) and the sidereal year (about 20 minutes longer) ...

'' (1993) *'' Memento'' (best of) (1995) *'' Flesh and Blood'' (1997) *'' Ravenchild'' (1999) *''

Ballads and Candles A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

'' (2000) *'' Arthur the King'' (2001) *'' Bib and Tuck'' (2002) — as 'Maddy Prior and the Girls' with

Abbie Lathe Abby or Abbie is a given name, most often a shortened form of Abigail and Albert. Notable women * Abbie Betinis (born 1980), American composer * Abby Binay (born 1975), Filipino politician * Abbie Boudreau (born 1979), American television n ...

and

*'' Lionhearts'' (2003) *'' Under the Covers'' (2005) — as 'Maddy + Girls' with

and Claudia Gibson *'' The Quest'' (2007) (CD + DVD) *'' Seven for Old England'' (2008)

Compilation

*''

Collections 1995 – 2005 Collection or Collections may refer to: Computing * Collection (abstract data type), the abstract concept of collections in computer science * Collection (linking), the act of linkage editing in computing * Garbage collection (computing), autom ...

'' (2005)

Tim Hart and Maddy Prior

*'' Folk Songs of Olde England'' vol 1 (1968) *''Folk Songs of Olde England'' vol 2 (1968) *''

Summer Solstice The summer solstice or estival solstice occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). The summer solstice is the day with the longest peri ...

'' (1971)

Maddy Prior and June Tabor

*'' Silly Sisters'' (1976) *'' No More To The Dance'' (1988)

Maddy Prior, John Kirkpatrick and Sydney Carter

*'' Lovely in the Dances'' (1981)

Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band

*'' A Tapestry of Carols'' (1987) *''

Sing Lustily and with Good Courage ''Sing Lustily And With Good Courage'' is an album by Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band (folk group), the Carnival Band. It was recorded at Valley Recordings in March 1990 and released as a CD on the Saydisc label. This is a collection of "West ...

'' (1990) *'' Carols and Capers'' (1991) *''

Hang Up Sorrow and Care ''Hang Up Sorrow and Care'' is an album by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band. Released in 1995, it is a loose concept album, with renditions of songs that were written hundreds of years ago. Critical reception ''Stereo Review'' stated: "Ballads ...

'' (1995) *'' Carols at Christmas'' (1996) *'' Gold Frankincense and Myrrh'' (2001) *'' An Evening of Carols and Capers'' (2005) *'' Paradise Found'' (2007) *''

Ringing the Changes ''Ringing the Changes'' is a 1929 British silent comedy film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Henry Edwards, Charles Cantley, James Fenton and Margot Landa. It was based on a novel by Raleigh King. The screenplay concerns an arist ...

'' (2007) *'' Vaughan Williams Carols Songs & Hymns'' (2010) *'' A Christmas Caper: The Best of Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band'' (2012)

Maddy Prior and Martin Carthy

*'' Beat the Retreat'' (1994) Maddy Prior and

Martin Carthy Martin Dominic Forbes Carthy MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in English folk music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, as well as later ar ...

perform two songs, "Farewell, Farewell", and "The Great Valerio" on this

Richard Thompson Richard Thompson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Thompson (animator) (1914–1998), Warner Bros. cartoon animator in the 1950s * Richard Thompson (cartoonist) (1957–2016), cartoonist who also worked as an illustrator * Richard Tho ...

tribute album.

Maddy Prior, Giles Lewin and Hannah James

*''3 for Joy'' (2012) *''Shortwinger'' (2017)

Maddy Prior singles

*"Rollercoaster" / "I Told You So" (1978) *"Baggy Pants" / "Woman in the Wings" (1978) *"Just the Two of Us" / "Acappella Stella" (1979) *"Wake up England" / "Paradise" (1980) *"The King" / "Ringing Down the Years" (1980) (with

Dave Cousins Dave Cousins (born David Joseph Hindson; 7 January 1945) is an English musician who has been the leader, singer and most-active songwriter of Strawbs, since 1967. Cousins is a founding member of Strawbs, which started out as the Strawberry H ...

Strawbs The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock. They are best known for their hi ...

) *"To Face" / "Half Listening" (1982) *"Deep in the Darkest Night" / "Western Movies" (1983) *"Stookie" / "Incidental Music From "Stookie"" (1985) *"Happy Families" / "Who's Sorry Now?" (1990) *"I Saw Three Ships" / "Quem Pastores" / "Monsieur Charpentier's Christmas Swing" (1991) (with the Carnival Band) *"I Saw Three Ships (Dance Doctor's Christmas Re-Mix)" / "The Boar's Head" / "Poor Little Jesus" (1992) *"All Around My Hat" (1996) (with Status Quo), No 47 *"Forgiveness" (2000) (with Jennifer Cutting All-Stars) *"Gaudete" / "Greenwood Side" / "Gaudete (extended mix)" (2001) (with Keltic Fusion; Maddy's voice is sampled) *"Stuff" (2007) (with the Carnival Band and Terry Jones) *"Secret Garden" (2007) Excalibur II - The Celtic Ring, produced and composed by Alan Simon

DVDs

*''Ballads and Candles'' (2004) *''An Evening of Carols and Capers'' (2005) *''Looking For a Grail Legend'' (2007) (documentary)

As a session or guest singer

She appeared on these albums: *

Shirley Collins Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE (born 5 July 1935) is an English folk singer who was a significant contributor to the British Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She often performed and recorded with her sister Dolly, whose accompaniment on ...

: ''

No Roses ''No Roses'' is an album by Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band. It was recorded in the summer of 1971 and produced by Sandy Roberton and Ashley Hutchings, who was Collins' husband at the time. It was released in October 1971 on the Peg ...

'' (1971) *

Jack the Lad Jack the Lad were a British folk rock group from North East England formed in 1973 by three former members of Lindisfarne (band), Lindisfarne, the most successful band of the period from the region. They moved from the progressive folk rock o ...

: ''It's Jack the Lad'' (1974) *

: '' Streets...'' (1975), No 13 * Jethro Tull: '' Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!'' (1976), No 25 *

Wizz Jones Raymond Ronald "Wizz" Jones (25 April 1939 – 27 April 2025) was an English acoustic guitarist, and singer-songwriter. He performed from the late 1950s and recorded from 1965 until 2025. He possessed what was described as "unparalleled virtuo ...

: ''

Magical Flight ''Magical Flight'' is the 1977 album by the pioneer British folk musician Wizz Jones. In addition to composing some of the songs, Alan Tunbridge produced the U.K. cover artwork. Track listing #"Pictures" ( Alan Tunbridge) - 4:25 #"Mississippi ...

'' (1977) *

Mandalaband Mandalaband is a progressive rock band formed in England in 1974. The band is led by David Rohl who writes, arranges, mixes and produces their material. Rohl is also a controversial Egyptologist, once featured on the London ''Sunday Times'' fron ...

: ''The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies'' (1978) on the track ''Like the Wind'' *

: ''

'' (1978), No 14 *

: ''

Exposed Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website * '' Exeposé'', a student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter Film and TV ...

'' (1979) No 16 - live album, re-released in 2005 on DVD-Video *

and Friends: '' My Very Favourite Nursery Rhymes'' (1981) *

and Friends: '' The Drunken Sailor and other Kids Favourites'' (1983) *Swan Arcade: ''Diving for Pearls'' (1986) *

Frankie Armstrong Frankie Armstrong (born 13 January 1941) is an English singer and voice teacher. She has worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement and as a trainer in social and youth work. Her repertoire ranges from traditional ballads to m ...

: '' Till The Grass O'Ergrew The Corn'' (1996) *

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

: " Don't Stop" (1996), No 2 *Rev Hammer's Freeborn John: The Story of John Lilburne-The Leader of the Levellers (1997) * Ayuo: ''Nova Carmina'' (1986) (Maddy Prior sings two songs from the Carmina Burana) *

: Blue Angel (2003) * Jennifer Cutting: ''Ocean: Songs for the Night Sea Journey'' (2005) *Rev Hammer – Freeborn John Live (2007)

Television

* BBC Wildlife on One: Shadow of the Hare 12 April 1993

References

External links

Official websiteStones BarnPark Records
Prior's Record Label
The Carnival Band
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Prior, Maddy 1947 births Living people Members of the Order of the British Empire Musicians from Blackpool Steeleye Span members English folk singers English women singers English folk rock musicians Chrysalis Records artists The Albion Band members Topic Records artists