I just learned this morning of the death of musician Tim Hart, one of the founders of Steeleye Span.

Tim was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in 2008, and died at his home in La Gomera Dec 24.

I first encountered his music in 1976 while stationed at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. I fell in love with it, and have remained a fan of both his, Steeleye Span’s and the individual musicians who have made up the band over the past 35 years. While he had retired from music several years earlier, he was coaxed into performing as part of a five-hour marathon performance in 1995, in aid of the charity War Child, and featured almost every member of Steeleye Span. He also performed with Maddy Prior as part of the BBC Electric Proms in October 2008.

Park Records has re-releasing his albums to aid in his treatment expenses, I don’t know how long they will be available.