Sandy Denny was the greatest British folk-rock singer ever. She was born in
Wimbledon in 1947 and died in 1978 as a result of head injuries sustained in a
fall down a flight of stairs. She was the lead singer for three groups: the
Strawbs, Fairport Convention and Fotheringay. She also performed as a solo
artist. The first of Sandy's compositions to be recorded by another artist was
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes" which was recorded by Judy Collins. Sandy's
own version of the song is featured on my favourite Fairport Convention album,
"Unhalfbricking", which was originally released in 1969. "Unhalfbricking" is a
great album, which I feel would appeal to Joni fans. My all-time favourite
Sandy Denny album, however, is "Fotheringay" by Fotheringay, originally
released in 1970. It is a beautiful album. Last year a compilation of Sandy's
songs, including "Who Knows Where the Time Goes", was released. It is entitled
"No More Sad Refrains: the Anthology" and is probably the best introduction to
Sandy Denny's beautiful compositions and voice.
Sandy Dennis was an actress, born in New England in 1937. She died of ovarian
cancer in 1992. Sandy studied at the Actors Studio in New York. Her first film
role was in "Splendor in the Grass" in 1961 and her final role was in "The
Indian Runner" in 1991. She won an Academy Award for her part in "Who's Afraid
of Virginia Woolf?" as well as Tony Awards for her roles on Broadway.
As you can probably tell, I was more of a fan of Sandy Denny, but they were
both fine artists and stars. It's good that we have fond memeories of them
both and that their work lives on.
Ian
