JOAN ARMATRADING

Joan Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist.

She first found mainstream success with her single “Love and Affection” in 1976. Her subsequent hits include “Me, Myself, I“, “Drop the Pilot” and “Willow“. Armatrading has also gained significant acclaim for her live performances.

Joan Armatrading was born in 1950 in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, the daughter of a carpenter and an amateur musician. When she was three years old, her parents moved with her to Birmingham, England.

She was inspired to play guitar by seeing a photo of Bob Dylan holding one on the cover of his album ‘Freewheelin” (1963). She bought her first guitar in 1968, at the age of 18.

Armatrading began her career as a backing singer for such artists as Spencer Davis and Robert Palmer. In 1972, she signed her first recording contract with Cube Records. Her debut album, ‘Whatever’s for Us’, was released in 1972.

She has released 18 studio albums to date, the most recent being Starlight (2016). She has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

Known for her distinctive voice and guitar style, as well as her songwriting skills, she has been described as “one of the finest singer-songwriters of her generation”.

A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996.

In a recording career spanning 46 years, Joan Armatrading has released 19 studio albums, as well as several live albums and compilations.

Backing Tracks –  Drop The Pilot,  Love And Affection,  Weakness In Me