1944 -Ralph May born: Dec. 3rd. Famborough,
Kent.1947 -His father leaves home; the family move to Croydon.
1951 -Learns to play the harmonica and discovers Laurel Hardy and Flash Gordon at Saturday morning pictures.
1954 -Ralph makes his stage debut
at school pantomime performing 'Where Will The Baby's Dimple Be?'1957 -Swaps his harmonica for a ukulele and forms a band.
1959 -Takes up the guitar. Leaves school and joins the army as a boy soldier.
1960 -Buys himself out of the Queen's Surrey Regiment
Junior Leaders Battalion for £50. Returns to his studies, this time at
Croydon Tech.1962 - Ralph leaves home to travel. At first to the south coast of England and then to France, Belgium, Italy, Germany and even as far ac Greece and Turkey. He makes his way by hitch-hiking and busking.
1966- In Paris
he meets a Norwegian girl called Nanna. They marry in November. Meanwhile Ralph
has changed his name to McTell (after bluesman Blind Willie) at friend and
mentor Wizz Jones' suggestion.1967 -On 21st January, Ralph and Nanna's first son, Sam Bjorn is born. McTell signs to Transatlantic Records and begins to record his first album.
1968 -Ralph McTell's debut album, 'Eight Frames A Second' is released on Transatlantic.
1969 -Two albums, 'Spiral Staircase' (including the first version of a song called 'Streets of London') and 'My Side Of Your Window' are released. In July McTell appears at the Cambridge Folk Festival for the first time, and in December headlines his first major concert at Hornsey Town Hall.
1970 -In May, McTell sells-out the Royal Festival Hall for
first time. Appears alongside Jimi Hendrix at Isle Of Wight
Festival.1971 -Ralph and Nanna's daughter, Leah Hanna May is born on February 9th. 'You Well Meaning Brought Me here' (including the songs 'The Ferryman and 'First And Last Man') released on the 'Famous' label.
1972 - The Tony Visconti-produced 'Not Till Tomorrow' featuring 'Zimmerman Blues', 'First Song', 'Barges' and 'Sylvia' released on reprise. McTell tours USA for the first time before returning to Europe for sell - out tour.
1973 - McTell becomes the first solo artist to sell-out the Royal Albert Hall for 14 years. Despite the intensity of the 'Troubles', he is the only major British artist to continue to play regularly in Northern Ireland.
1974 - 'Easy', the last album before 'the hit' is released
on Reprise. 'Streets Of London' is rerecorded as a single for Reprise/Warners
and reaches number two in the British charts. A million-seller all over the
world, the song soon becomes a classic and earns for McTell a prestigious Ivor
Novello songwriting award.1975 - In March McTell announces his intention of quitting touring 'for the foreseeable future'. Spends some time with the family in America, relaxing and writing. Returns and plays a Christmas concert in Belfast.
1976 - A second son, Tom Stein May is born on 7th Sep. 'Right Side Up' featuring 'From Clare To Here' and 'Naomi' released. First tour of Australia and Far East.
1977 - After two almost consecutive concerts at the The Royal Albert Hall (London) and Sydney Opera House (Australia), the 'Ralph, Albert and Sydney' album is recorded and released on Warner Brothers.
1978 - Ralph and Nanna's third son, Billy-Joe Frank May is born on April 19th.
1979 - On the new 'Slide Away The Screen album
(Warner Brothers), McTell is joined by folk-rock luminaries Richard Thompson
and Fairport Convention's Simon Nicol and Dave Pegg.1982 - 'Water Of Dreams', featuring 'Bentley & Craig', released on McTell's own May's label. 'Alphabet Zoo', a new children's' TV programme based around songs written and performed by McTell is launched by Granada. 'Songs From Alphabet Zoo' released on Mays.
1984 -Following from the tremendous success of 'Alphabet
Zoo', McTeIl has another television series created for him -'Tickle On The Tum'
is born.1986 -'Bridge Of Sighs', including 'The Hiring Fair' (subsequently a great live Fairport Convention favourite) released on Mays.
1988 -McTell returns to his blues and ragtime roots with 'Blue Skies Black Heroes', released on his own Leola label. 'Affairs Of The Heart' (double album) released on Castle Communications.
1991 -'Stealin' Back' released on Castle Communications.
1992 - The Silver Celebration
year, marking the 25th anniversary of McTel l's first recording. His most
ambitious project to date, 'The Boy With A Note' (and evocation of the life of
Dylan Thomas in words and music') is commissioned as a musical play for radio
by the BBC, and rerecorded for the album release on Leola. The two-part Silver
Celebration Tour takes up most of the year. The 'Silver Celebration' album
released on Castle Communications features a selection of favourite tracks
including 'The Ferryman', 'From Clare To Here' and 'Street Of
London".1993 - McTell frees himself form the constraints of past managers. Nanci Griffith releases a single version of 'From Clare To Here'. For the first time the complete 'Alphabet Zoo' collection (with six new recordings is released on CD and cassette by the The Road Goes On Forever Records. The autumn Black & White Tour attracts unprecedented interest.
1994 - Starts new recording. One of the songs ('The Islands') from those sessions is used as the theme for the Billy Connolly's World Tour Of Scotland. Stops smoking after 37 years! In June joins Christy Moore, Loudon Wainwright III, Tanita Tikaram and Bronte Bros. at the Albert Hall in a memorial concert and tribute to Ken Woollard, who used to organise the Cambridge Folk Festival. The following month Ralph brings his festival band 'Good Men In The Jungle' to play at the Cambridge Festival. 'Road Goes On Forever' releases 'Slide Away The Screen' in CD format, with three previously unreleased songs added. Several visits to Ireland during the year. Tours Australia and New Zealand in the early Autumn and on the way 'down under' stops over for a couple of concerts in Hong Kong. On his return, his British tour starts and he works through till mid-December, celebrates his 50th birthday on the road, and still not smoking.
1995 -Finishes recording at Dave Pegg's Woodworm Studios and signs record deal with Transatlantic Records now owned by Castle Communication. 'Sand In Your Shoes' to be released in October. Confirms management with Michael Bisping, Hamburg. 'The Islands' from 'Sand In Your Shoes' is used as the title music for Billy Connolly's World Tour of Scotland.
Sinead O'Connor releases 'Street of London'.
Still not smoking!
1996 -Radio Two make 'Sand In Your Shoes' album of the week.
Ralph and longtime collaborator Graham Prescott work with Billy Connolly again on the soundtrack for Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia. In the summer Ralph works with BBC Radio Two at the Sidmouth Folk Festival as their reporter and presenter.
Tourss the USA, Europe and the UK.
1997 - Plans for this year so far include :
Ralph presenting a 12 week program for BBC Radio Two 'Folk On Two'.
Supporting Mary Black on the tour in Ireland.
Touring the UK from September through to November.