Peter Knight (folk musician)

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Peter Knight
Steeleye Span - Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2006 (2).jpg
Peter Knight and Maddy Prior at Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2006
Background information
Born (1947-05-27) 27 May 1947 (age 78)
London, England, UK
GenresFolk
InstrumentsViolin, mandolin, vocals
Years active1960s–present
Formerly of Steeleye Span
Spouse
Deborah Knight
​
​
(m. 2011)​

Peter Knight (born 27 May 1947) is an English folk musician. He was a member of British folk rock group Steeleye Span from 1970 to 2013.

Contents

Early life

Born in London, Knight learnt to play the violin and mandolin as a child before going to the Royal Academy of Music from 1960 to 1964, enrolling at thirteen and graduating at sixteen. [1] [2] [3] The recordings of the Irish fiddlers Michael Coleman and Michael Gorman [2] inspired him to take part in Irish pub sessions. [4]

Career

Knight teamed up with guitarist and singer Bob Johnson until 1970 when he joined Steeleye Span. The parting was short-lived, as Johnson himself also joined Steeleye Span in 1972. In 1971, he performed on Roy Bailey's debut album. [5]

In the mid-70s he was once secretly a member of The Wombles and appeared on Top of The Pops as Uncle Bulgaria, with Rick Kemp and Bob Johnson also in Womble suits; [6] when speaking about his experience as a Womble, Knight said: "It's a bit embarrassing... but all my Wombles are in America," was how Mike Batt had raised the issue. "He was producing one of Steeleye Span's albums, and he was looking for someone to be the Wombles on Top of the Pops. We (Knight, Kemp and Johnson) all jumped at the opportunity." [7]

He left Steeleye Span in January 1977, when it started to look as if the band was about to break up. Knight teamed up with Johnson again to record a concept album The King of Elfland's Daughter (1978), based on the novel by Lord Dunsany. [8] It included one song sung by blues legend Alexis Korner and another by Mary Hopkin. In 1980 he returned to Steeleye Span and appeared on every one of their albums since then up until Wintersmith (released October 2013). Also in the 1980s, ge met saxophonist Trevor Watts and was introduced to free improvisation. [2] He played with Watts in bands such as Moiré Music and The Drum Orchestra. [2]

In 1995 he recorded an album with bass-player Danny Thompson, [9] best known for his work with John Martyn. Knight formed Tanna with guitarist Kevin Dempsey and Tom Leary during the 2000s. [10] He appeared as a guest on Mostly Autumn's 2007 album Heart Full of Sky and performed as a guest at their album launch show at the London Astoria on 10 February 2007. In 2012, he was appointed Patron of the Fiddle Festival of Britain. [4]

Knight formed his own band, Gigspanner, a trio turned six-piece folk band [11] he still tours with as of 2026. He announced his decision to leave Steeleye Span at the end of 2013 on his website on 14 November 2013. [12] Knight's exact reasons for leaving Steeleye Span are still unclear, but when asked in a 2013 interview, lead singer Maddy Prior said: "I'm not quite sure, ,aybe it's time to have a break and do other things. Gigspanner is his baby and that's what he wants to do. It's a bit late on for returns but I would never say it's out of the question." [13]

Since 2016, he has performed as a duo with Bellowhead founder and melodeon player, John Spiers. [6] He appeared as a guest on The Lost Trades's 2021 album The Bird, The Book & The Barrel [14]

Pesronal life

Knight lives with his wife, Deborah Walker Knight, who he married in Kingsand in 2011. [15] [7]

Discography (excluding Steeleye Span)

Solo

YearTitle
1991An Ancient Cause
1998The Gemini Cadenza
2005Too Late For Shadows

Collaborative albums

YearTitleNotes
1977 The King of Elfland's Daughter Made with Bob Johnson
1995Peter Knight and Danny Thompson [9] Made with Danny Thompson
2000Ballads and CandlesMade with Maddy Prior
2002Feast of FiddlesMade with Chris Leslie, Tom Leary, Ian Cutler, Phil Beer, Hugh Crabtree and Brian McNeill
2004 [16] Nicely WrongMade with Chris Leslie, Tom Leary, Ian Cutler, Phil Beer, Hugh Crabtree and Brian McNeill
2006Still LiveMade with Chris Leslie, Tom Leary, Ian Cutler, Phil Beer, Hugh Crabtree and Brian McNeill
2018Well MetMade with John Spiers
2021The Bird, The Book & The BarrelMade with The Lost Trades [14]
Both in a TuneMade with John Spiers

With Gigspanner

YearTitleNotes
2009 [17] Lipreading The Poet
2010Doors At EightLive from May 2010 tour
2015Layers of Ages
2017The Wife Of Urban Law
LiveReleased as Gigspanner "Big Band" / live at Fairport's Cropredy Convention, 9 August 2017
2020Natural InventionReleased as Gigspanner "Big Band"
2021From Poets To WivesCompilation from the above 4 Gigspanner albums
2025TurnstoneReleased as Gigspanner "Big Band"

References

  1. ↑ "About Peter Knight". Peter Knight. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Peter Knight ← People ← Cafe OTO". www.cafeoto.co.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Peter Knight". A Celebration of Steeleye Span. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 Editor (1 March 2016). "Peter Knight – bio". Folking.com. Retrieved 8 January 2026.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. ↑ "Roy Bailey". mainlynorfolk.info. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 Wilks, Jon (9 February 2022). "Peter Knight & John Spiers: The Interview". Tradfolk. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. 1 2 Peter Knight 2011 interview
  8. ↑ "Bob Johnson & Peter Knight: The King of Elfland's Daughter". mainlynorfolk.info. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Peter Knight & Danny Thompson". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "Gigspanner Play Rugby Roots". Coventry Telegraph/ CoventryLive, Folk, 20 April 2012. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Spencer, Neil (12 April 2025). "Gigspanner Big Band: Turnstone review – an elegance unmatched in British folk". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Steeleye Span". peterknight.net. 14 November 2013. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2014. I left Steeleye Span at the end of 2013 having been in the band for around 42 years, and now look back on the good times and not so good times with a smile and no regrets.
  13. ↑ 2013 Maddy Prior interview
  14. 1 2 "Official Folk Albums Chart – September 2021". 5 October 2021.
  15. ↑ joahughejh (11 March 2025). "Music That Changes Lives: Peter Knight's Gigspanner Trio". Folk Inspiration. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Nicely Wrong by Feast of Fiddles on Apple Music, 1 January 2004, retrieved 8 January 2026
  17. ↑ "An Exclusive interview with: Peter Knight by Pete Austin". Kettering Arts Centre. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
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