All can apply.
Manchester-based author Richard Houghton is the author of more than 20 books about music, these have included authorized fan histories of Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull and now he is tackling one of the greats, Iain Matthews, and he’s looking for specific fan memories of him as one of Britain’s leading singer-songwriters. These will be collected together as an oral history to be published in October 2025 by Spenwood Books.
“Iain Matthews – A People’s History” will be a hardback book containing over 200 fan memories of seeing Iain in concert or encountering him over the years. Author and compiler Houghton said: “A founding member of Fairport Convention, as a chart-topping act with Matthews Southern Comfort in 1970 and in the 50-plus years since as one of the torchbearers responsible for bringing American folk and country music to British audiences, Iain Matthews’ name will be familiar to fans from across the decades. What we’re trying to do in this book is pay tribute to Iain’s musical legacy by asking fans to share their memories of him, whether they saw him nearly sixty years ago or six months ago.”
Iain Matthews himself added: “Whether we’re friends, old or new. Whether we’ve met long ago or recently. And if you’ve seen me play, in whatever formation, Spenwood would like to hear from you.”
To share your Iain Matthews memory, please write to iainmatthewsbook@gmail.com In the meantime have a listen to this little beauty to jog all those memories.
