Johnny Coppin is a singer/songwriter, composer and poetry anthologist. Formerly with the folk-rock band Decameron, his many solo albums include "Forest & Vale & High Blue Hill" (Songs of Gloucestershire), "Edge of Day" - a collaboration with world-famous writer Laurie Lee, "Force of the River", "A Country Christmas" "The Shakespeare Songs" and his most recent albums "Keep the Flame" and "The Winding Stair". His clear voice together with his ability to write fine songs make his music essentially English in character while having universal appeal. Jack Russell, the Gloucestershire and ex-England wicket-keeper, is a big fan and often used to lead his team in singing one of Johnny's rousing Gloucestershire songs!
Johnny has supported Gerry Rafferty, Jasper Carrott and The Albion Band on tour and has appeared at Festivals in Britain, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland and Belgium - including the prestigious Cambridge, Edinburgh, Lisdoonvarna and Nyon Festivals. He has played on the European folk scene for many years, and makes a long overdue return to Scotland this May before beginning a UK tour of "Edge of Day" - his tribute to Laurie Lee, the writer of "Cider with Rosie".
Johnny Coppin with Paul Burgess and Mick Dolan Johnny plays solo with guitar and piano and regularly works with his own trio or band. Members of his band have included Phil Beer from Show of Hands, Albion Band etc, and his current sidekicks are fiddle player Paul Burgess from The John Kirkpatrick Band and guitarist Mick Dolan who has worked with Steve Winwood, Dr Hook and Show of Hands.
TV appearances include his own programme "Song of Gloucestershire" for the BBC, "Stars in a Dark Night" for Channel 4, and the recent "Music Writers on TV" for HTV, while his radio work includes "Kaleidoscope" for Radio 4, "West Country Christmas", the Arts Programme and "Folk on Two" for Radio 2, as well as many appearances on British local radio shows.
His music for theatre includes "Songs on Lonely Roads" (the story of composer/poet Ivor Gurney) with David Goodland, The Shrewsbury Theatre Guild's production of "Arthur's Plough", as well as writing and directing the music for the Festival Players Theatre Company and their touring productions of Shakespeare which culminate in the Three Choirs Festival. He has edited two poetry anthologies - "Forest & Vale & High Blue Hill" and "Between the Severn and the Wye" - poems from the border counties of England & Wales. His 3rd book was "A Country Christmas" - a collections of prose, poetry, carols, songs and folklore .
