Al Cromwell | |
Birth Date: | 1938 |
Occupation: | Singer, instrumentalist |
Years Active: | 1963–1995 |
Alan Cromwell (1938 – 28 September 1995) was a Canadian blues and folk musician who was active on the folk scene in Toronto, during the 1960s and 1970s, where he performed at Steele's Tavern,[1] the Horseshoe Tavern, The Purple Onion and various venues in Kensington Market and Yorkville, Toronto.[2] [3] From Phinneys Cove, Nova Scotia, he learned spirituals, blues, and folk songs from his father, Norman Cromwell.[4]
Cromwell performed during the early years of the Mariposa Folk Festival, notably in 1963.[5]
In the 1980s, Cromwell became better known as a blues player, playing with Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and Josh White.[6] He continued to be a regular live performer in Toronto throughout the 1980s and 1990s in jazz and folk clubs. He is included on the live album Grossman's Live issued in 1987.[7]
Cromwell died in Toronto on September 28, 1995.[8] [9] He was posthumously inducted as a memorial member of the Porcupine Awards Hall of Fame.[10] An award was established in his name in the Folk/Blues category in the same year.