Norma Waterson

Who is Norma Waterson?

Norma Christine Waterson is an English musician, best known as one of the original members of The Watersons, a premier English traditional group. Other members of the group included her brother Mike Waterson and sister Lal Waterson, and in later incarnations of the group her husband Martin Carthy.

Waterson was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and brought up there by her half-Gypsy grandmother. Her eponymously titled solo debut Norma Waterson was produced by John Chelew and released by Hannibal Records in 1996, and was well received in the scene, featuring collaborations with her daughter, Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy and other members of The Watersons, as well as Danny Thompson, Richard Thompson and Roger Swallow.

In 1999, the follow-up The Very Thought of You was released by Hannibal Records and once again features Richard Thompson, Danny Thompson, Eliza Carthy and husband Martin Carthy.

In 2001, she released her first solo traditional folk album, Bright Shiny Morning, on Topic Records.

She is a member of Waterson:Carthy with Martin Carthy and Eliza Carthy, and of the "supergroup" Blue Murder. She has appeared on a variety of collective recordings, notably Peter Bellamy's The Transports. In 2008, Norma made a guest appearance alongside Mike Waterson on Scottish musician James Yorkston's album When the Haar Rolls in, singing her sister Lal Waterson's song, "Midnight Feast".