Tributes are being paid after the death of a Harrogate musician who pioneered the late 1960s English folk music revival and once appeared in a Hollywood movie with Mel Gibson.

The Guardian and Mojo music magazine are among those to publish obituaries of Barry Dransfield, a talented singer and skilled craftsman who was a master fiddle player and accomplished on guitar, cello and dulcimer, who has passed aged 79.

Rising to fame with his elder brother Robin in the late 1960s, Barry’s debut solo album The Rout of the Blues was voted Melody Maker Folk Album of the Year in 1971.

Generally regarded as one the best ever performers of British folk music, Barry was born in Harrogate to Mary (nee Maltby) and Arthur Dransfield, an office clerk, and went to Woodlands Community Primary School and Harrogate Grammar School.

The Guardian was among those to pay tribute to Harrogate's Barry Dransfield, the late singer and craftsman who was accomplished on folk fiddle, guitar, cello and dulcimer who has died aged 79. (Picture contributed)

placeholder image — The Guardian was among those to pay tribute to Harrogate's Barry Dransfield, the late singer and craftsman who was accomplished on folk fiddle, guitar, cello and dulcimer who has died aged 79. (Picture contributed)

He began performing in his teens on mandolin in a bluegrass group with Robin, before moving to London in the 1960s, during which time their music career began to take off.

At the height of his influence on Britain’s wider folk music scene, Barry featured on two historic records of the era – the Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band album No Roses (1971) and Morris On (1972), a folk-rock compilation of Morris dance tunes.

A pivotal moment in Barry's career – and a sign of his commitment to his own musical muse – came in that era when he and Robin were offered a recording contract by US record giant Warner Brothers.

The charming but stubborn Barry turned it down and the familial duo split and took up solo careers, Barry recording a much-sought-after solo LP for Polydor Records in 1972, now regarded as one of the rarest records in the world

Rising to fame with his elder brother Robin in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Barry Dransfield is pictured with Robin at Leeds Folk Festival in 1983. (Picture contributed)

As the 1970s drew to a close, Barry and Robin reunited, recording two more LPs and playing occasional gigs together, before the two of them took up craftsman’s work in different instrument repair shops, Barry in Hastings and Robin in Cornwall.

In 1979 Barry met his partner, Christine Goldschmidt at one of his gigs at the Queens pub in Crouch End in London.

Barry also contributed to various TV, theatre and film scores folk songs, and music hall standards.

Famously, in 1984, Barry appeared as the Blind Fiddler in the film The Bounty starring Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis and Anthony Hopkins.

In 1984, Harrogate musician Barry Dransfield appeared as the Blind Fiddler in Hollywood film The Bounty starring Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis and Anthony Hopkins. (Picture contributed)

Barry lived in Hastings for a time before he and Christine moved to Brittany in 2007, then before returning to the UK and North Devon, in 2016.

Barry Dransfield’s official website posted its own tribute, saying: “It is with great sadness we announce that Barry passed away on Sunday 14th June 2026.

"He was admitted to hospital two weeks previously with a serious lung infection from which, sadly, he did not recover, having been diagnosed with Alzehimer's three years earlier.

"Barry has left many happy memories for his family, friends and fellow musicians along with a wealth of songs and tunes in his recordings be they solo or with his brother Robin, enjoyed by numerous listeners and audiences everywhere."

More information: https://barrydransfield.com/