Early Life
He was born in South Bank, Middlesbrough, the son of an English father and an Irish mother. He discovered folk music while he was still at school, and began visiting and performing at the Rifle Club in Cannon Street, Middlesbrough. After leaving school he was encouraged to become an apprentice at the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Wilton chemical plant, near to his home. During this period he often visited Ireland in search of his musical roots. At the age of 21, he threw caution to the winds and became a professional musician. Armed with the rich repertoire of songs he had amassed, he spent the first summer busking his way around the bars of Spain's Mediterranean coast, and on to Morocco via Gibraltar. It was then that he found he had a talent for songwriting.
Back in England in 1972 he recorded his first album for Bill Leader, The Valley of Tees. This firmly established him as a singer and songwriter of well-crafted socially conscious, and environmentally aware songs.
Read more about this topic: Vin Garbutt
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