Linlithgow Honours Scotland's "King of Folk"
Keep Matt McGinn Singing!
Forty six years after his tragic death in 1977, Folk music fans paid tribute to the memory of the late great Matt McGinn at an evening of songs and music in the Linlithgow Academy Theatre on Saturday 4th March 2023.
The Glasgow singer, songwriter, poet and raconteur was Scotland’s undisputed “King of Folk” in the 1960s and 70s. The rare talents of Matt McGinn made him a household name in Scotland and in Folk circles throughout the world. In 1962 he sang in a concert in New York's Carnegie Hall with Pete Seeger and a young Bob Dylan.
Matt went on to be regarded as one of Britain’s most powerful songwriters and became one of Scotland’s leading folksingers of his time. He died in 1977 at the age of only 49, but left some 500 songs, many of which, such as the Red Yo-Yo and Coorie Doon have become classics.
In recent years, Linlithgow Folk Festival Association has played a pivotal role in reviving Matt McGinn's work and presenting it in an innovative and entertaining way. Previous tribute nights in the town have played to packed houses. The 2020 event was bigger and better than ever, with singers and musicians of all ages from throughout central Scotland interpreting their favourite Matt McGinn material.
The Matt McGinn Night is a major fundraiser for the Linlithgow Folk Festival and all entertainers give their services free as a gesture of support. Proceeds from the show are used at the Festival to organise an outdoor music initiative - THE NORA DEVINE STAGE - which gives budding artistes the opportunity to perform at the very heart of the Festival.
For many years, the late Nora Devine ran the famous Linlithgow Folk Club and brought Matt McGinn to the town on several occasions.