Folk music legend Bill Fay has died at the age of 81.
The musician’s passing was announced in a statement by his label, Dead Oceans, saying he died ‘peacefully’ in London on Saturday morning.
Bill had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and he was called ‘a gentle man and a gentleman, wise beyond our times,’ by his label.
The statement added: ‘He was a private person with the biggest of hearts, who wrote immensely moving, meaningful songs that will continue to find people for years to come.’
‘Bill’s first two albums, Bill Fay and Time of the Last Persecution, found a modest but loving audience upon their release at the dawn of the 1970s.
‘While they weren’t considered commercial successes at the time, they continue to inspire devotion decades on, now known as overlooked classics from the era.
Folk music legend Bill Fay has died at the age of 81, with his passing announced by his label Dead Oceans in a statement on Sunday (pictured in his music video for Salt Of The Earth)
‘With enormous help from producer Joshua Henry, who tracked Bill down and convinced him to make another album, Bill later went on to make three more albums with Dead Oceans: Life is People (2012), his first release for forty years; Who is the Sender? (2015); and Countless Branches (2020), enjoying his cult status in real time.
‘Only a month before his passing, Bill was busy working on a new album.
‘Our hope is to find a way to finish and release it, but for now, we remember Bill’s legacy as the ‘man in the corner of the room at the piano’, who quietly wrote heartfelt songs that touched and connected with people around the world.’
‘Life Is People. With love, Bill’s friends at Dead Oceans.’
After the statement was shared on Instagram, many users shared their own tributes to Bill in the comments.
‘It would be nearly impossible for me to convey the impact that Bill’s music has had on my life. Few writers spoke to the human condition and the beauty of this world, like Bill Fay. May he rest in peace;
‘One of the greatest. We were blessed;
‘Condolences to his friends and family. Thank you for giving him a second act;’
The musician’s passing was announced in a statement by his label, Dead Oceans, saying he died ‘peacefully’ in London on Saturday morning
‘I’ve only recently been introduced to Bill’s beautiful music, but it’s really gone deep with me. God bless you, Bill.’
Bill was born in North London in 1943, and after he began writing songs and recording demos while at university – before noticed by former Van Morrison drummer Terry Noon.
He was then signed to Decca Records subsidiary Dream, where he released two albums Bill Fay in 1970, and Time of the Last Persecution the following year.
However, following low sales for his second record, he was dropped from his label, but almost 40 years later in 1998, a small UK label reissued his music before it was discovered by producer Jim O’Rourke.
He played Fay’s music to Jeff Tweedy while he was recording Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – leading to him covering Be Not So Fearful during live shows with his band Wilco.
Fab went onto perform with the band in 2007 and 2010.
Speaking about Fay’s music in 2024, Tweedy told The Guardian: ‘There’s a simplicity and an elegance to it.
‘You immediately recognise this is something uncut by ambition and fashion; it’s just somebody humbly adding their voice to contribute some beauty in, and maybe make peace with, the world.’
Fay went onto release a compilation album called Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow in 2005 with help from David Tibet of Current 93.
The album included studio recordings between 1978 and 1981.
