main content Ewan MacColl (1915-1989)

35 Stanley Avenue, Beckenham, BR3 2PU

Ewan MacColl was born as James Miller in Auchterarder, Perthshire, in 1915, moving to Salford, Greater Manchester, in the 1920`s. He became involved with theatre groups and wrote his first script for the BBC at 15.

MacColl founded the influential Theatre Workshop with Joan Littlewood, his second wife. He was now working on radio documentaries, recording traditional songs for the BBC archives. He changed his name to Ewan MacColl in 1945 when his post war theatrical and play writing career flourished in London. MacColl began a remarkable partnership with Bert Lloyd, Alan Lomax and Peggy Seeger (his third wife) which began The Great Folk Revival. His Ballads and Blues Club at the Theatre Royal introduced traditional singers into its programmes.

MacColl shunned the pop business, but one of his songs "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was an international hit for Roberta Flack in 1972. He wrote one of the greatest songs of all time that was the theme music for the film "Play Misty for Me".

Ewan MacColl died on 22nd October 1989. His wife, Peggy Seeger, still lives in Stanley Avenue, Beckenham, which they moved into between 1959 and 1963