Bert Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and a founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born on November 3, 1943, in Glasgow, Scotland, and passed away on October 5, 2011, in Hampstead, London, England. Jansch’s music career began in the 1960s when he emerged as an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter in London. Over his lifetime, he recorded more than 28 albums and extensively toured from the 1960s until the 21st century.

Jansch was a pivotal figure in the British folk revival of the 1960s, performing at folk clubs and recording several solo albums. He also collaborated with other musicians like John Renbourn and Anne Briggs. In 1968, he co-founded Pentangle, which he toured and recorded with until their initial breakup in 1973. After taking a break from music for a few years, Jansch returned in the late 1970s to work on various projects with other artists.

He rejoined a reformed Pentangle in the early 1980s and stayed with them through various changes in personnel until 1995. Jansch continued to work as a solo artist until his death. His work has influenced many artists, including Jimmy Page, Mike Oldfield, Paul Simon, Pete Hawkes, Nick Drake, Donovan, and Neil Young. He received two Lifetime Achievement Awards at the BBC Folk Awards: one in 2001 for his solo achievements and another in 2007 as a member of Pentangle.

Jansch’s early life was spent in the residential area of Edinburgh known as West Pilton, where he attended Pennywell Primary School and Ainslie Park Secondary School. As a teenager, he acquired a guitar and started visiting a local folk club, “The Howff,” where he met influential figures in the folk scene. He was introduced to the music of Big Bill Broonzy, Pete Seeger, Brownie McGhee, and Woody Guthrie, which greatly influenced his musical style. After leaving school, Jansch initially worked as a nurseryman before deciding to pursue music full-time.

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