JOHN FORD
John rejoined Strawbs in 1983 when they reformed and remained with the band until 1985, when he relocated to America. He was a member of Ritchie Blackmore's band Blackmore's Night from October 1998 until April 1999. Under A Violet Moon, their second album, featured John on the beautiful "Wind in the Willows".
He gigs regularly in and around the NY area, both as a solo artist and with the John Ford Band (which may well include his son John Jr.). In early 2005 he performed with the Acoustic Strawbs and with Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig at two very special shows run by the indefatigable Joe Langer.
His first solo album Love Is A Highway was available as a pre-release at Chiswick 98, where he performed two tracks "Bread and Fishes" and his own "Garden Of Love", his powerful anthem to the son he lost. Followed quickly by a second - Heading For A High - and in March 2002 a third - Natural High.
2004 saw the release of a retrospective - Backtracking - where John has re-recorded a number of tracks spanning his musical career, including a reworking of TheMonks' "Nice Legs, Shame About The Face" a rocking version of Dave Lambert's "Cold Steel." and two live bonus Tracks, "Witchwood" and "Heavy Disguise," recorded during a 2004 interview with Gene Godfrey's radio show "Classic FM" on Z889/WBZC
All of John's albums are excellent, showcasing his splendid songwriting abilities and musicianship. They come highly recommended - check out the reviews pages. July 2005 saw a 7 track maxi-single (or mini-album if you prefer) including a cracking version of "New World" and an acoustic version of "Part Of The Union" featuring Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig.
John then had two Christmas related releases: an album - Whatever Happened To Christmas in 2005 and another 7-track maxi-single/album A Christmas Trilogy in late 2006.
Next, an all-new album, Big Hit In India released in October 2008 on CD and download. The songs and music are as strong and melodic as ever.
On "Fox Lies Down" which is a Genesis tribute album, John plays an excellent cover of "The Carpet Crawlers". Re-issued in 2009/10 as "Your Own Special Way" with three additional tracks.
John travelled over to play at the spectacular 40th Anniversary Strawbs weekend in September 2009, delivering a great solo set with acoustic covers of various Strwabs, Hudson Ford and his own material. "Heavy Disguise" was strangely missing but all was revealed when in the stunning finale, John, with Dave Lambert in support, played the number along with Robert Kirby and the band - the first time it's ever been heard live as it was recorded on Grave New World.
In 2011, John's collected best of, Resurrected (The Very Best Of And Then Some) was released on CD and download. And in 2014, John put out his first instrumental album, "No Talkin'", and a year later in 2015, a really stunning album A Better Day.
And of course, John was an integral part of the 50th Anniversary celebration, the centrepiece of which was Grave New World in its entirety.
See also Hudson Ford, The Monks, Jaymes Fenda and the Vulcanes, High Society, Velvet Opera, The GBs