Roy Bailey

Who is Roy Bailey?

Roy Bailey MBE, is an English socialist folk singer. Roy began his singing career in a skiffle group in 1958.

Colin Irwin from the music magazine Mojo said Bailey represents "the very soul of folk's working class ideals... a triumphal homage to the grass roots folk scene as a radical alternative to the mainstream music industry."

In the 2005 Honours List, he received the MBE for services to folk music. On 23 August 2006, he returned the MBE in protest at the United Kingdom government's foreign policy with regard to Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. By doing so he joined the list of people who have declined a British honour.

In 2003, Bailey together with Tony Benn were awarded "Best Live Act" at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for their programme Writing on the Wall. Tony Benn cites Ron Bailey as "the greatest socialist folk singer of his generation."

He performs a number of songs by the American singer-songwriter Si Kahn and is also renowned as a singer of children's songs, often using material written by his old partner Leon Rosselson.