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Artist News
Folk guitarist John Renbourn dies
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 31 March 2015
Former Pentangle guitarist John Renbourn has died, aged 70. He was found by police at his home on Thursday morning, after he failed to appear for a live performance in Glasgow the previous evening. He is believed to have suffered a heart attack.
His manager, Dave Smith told The Guardian: “He was just larger than life. Game for anything. He was just finishing off a tour with Wizz Jones, and was looking forward to the next. He was a great teacher – he was always putting himself down as a teacher and running weekend workshops all over Europe, where he would have students come and learn from him”.
Renbourn first came to prominence in the 60s, after working more formally with fellow virtuoso folk guitarist Bert Jansch, who died in 2011.
After recording an album as a duo in 1966, they formed Pentangle the following year, which incorporated jazz influences into their sound. After the group split in 1973, Renbourn returned to his solo career, and in the late 80s began teaching a degree course in steel-strung guitar.
