Paul Downes is an English folk guitarist, singer and composer. He has appeared on eight albums with bands, three solo albums and has over 150 session credits. He has toured every concert venue, theatre and festival in Britain, plus many tours in the USA and Europe, as well as appearing in cabaret in the West Indies and newsreading on US radio. Born in Exeter,

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, Downes played classical guitar in his youth. He played a solo recital in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

at the age of 16 and subsequently took up folk music. From the age of 12, his best friend was

Steve Knightley Steve Knightley (born 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and acoustic musician. Since 1992 he has been one half of folk/roots duo Show of Hands along with Phil Beer. Knightley was named "Songwriter of the Nineties" by BBC Radio 6 Music in ...

; then at 16, they met

Phil Beer Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Biography Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whilst still at school in Teignmout ...

. After giving up an academic career, he went on the road as half of the folk duo Downes and Beer. The pair met

Bill Zorn William Zorn (born May 18, 1948) is an American folk music singer, banjo player, and guitarist who was a member of The New Christy Minstrels, The Limeliters, and The Kingston Trio, as well as lesser known groups The Windjammers (sometimes styled ...

, who had just left

The Kingston Trio The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

, and formed the Arizona Smoke Revue. When Zorn returned to the states, Downes toured with

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

before being asked to sit in on the first Joyce Gang gig. The Joyce Gang are an Anglo/Irish roots band with whom Downes has recorded five albums. He still plays with the Joyce Gang and as a solo artist, as well as occasional reunions with Phil Beer and Arizona Smoke Revue. Downes has recently formed a collaboration with Mick Ryan, several of whose songs he had previously recorded. Downes plays guitar for Ryan's folk opera ''The Navvy's Wife'' and they are toured as a duo in 2009. He is a supporter of

Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an England, English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played i ...

Discography

Downes and Beer

* '' Life Ain't Worth Living'' (1973) * ''Dance Without Music'' (1976) * ''Live in Concept'' (1980) * ''Live at Nettlebed'' (2008)

Arizona Smoke Revue

* ''Arizona Smoke Revue'' * ''A Thunder in the Horizon'' * ''The Blackwater Boys''

Joyce Gang

* ''Joyce Gang'' * ''Sober for a Week'' * ''Deadhead Can't Dance'' * ''In Yer Face – Live'' * ''No True Road''

Solo

* ''Still Life'' * ''Life Goes On'' * ''Directly'' * ''Overdue'' * ''Life Restored'' (reissue of ''Still Life'' and ''Life Goes On'')

with Mick Ryan

* ''Grand Conversation'' * ''The Navvy's Wife''

References

Living people English folk guitarists English male guitarists Year of birth missing (living people) {{England-musician-stub