Bert Jansch, an acoustic guitar virtuoso and folksinging legend, passed away recently at age 67. Jansch was a huge influence on artists including Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Al Stewart, Johnny Marr, Beth Orton, and many others, both with his group Pentangle and as a solo artist. He was recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.
Born in 1943 in Glasgow, Scotland, he decided to become a full-time musician in 1960. He went on to establish himself as a leader in the 1960s British folk music revival with the release of his first solo album in 1965. He shared a flat and was a frequent collaborator with renowned acoustic guitarist John Renbourn. In 1968, Jansch was a founding member of Pentangle, which along with Fairport Convention, was a major force in the folk music scene of that era. He released 30 albums and dozens of singles under his name or in collaborations, as well as numerous recordings with Pentangle.
Jansch received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Edinburgh Napier University in 2007, and was given several Lifetime Achievement Awards. His most recent album was Black Swan in 2006, and his final appearance was on August 1 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. He passed away on October 5, after a long battle with lung cancer.