LAMAMIMET

Born Beverley Kutner near Coventry in 1947, she moved to London as a teenager to study drama and quickly became involved in the burgeoning British folk scene, learning guitar from Bert Jansch and fronting the jug band the Levee Breakers. She released her first single, “Babe I’m Leaving You,” in 1965 and followed with solo recordings such as “Happy New Year,” featuring future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.

Martyn’s career was marked by high‑profile collaborations; she contributed vocals to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bookends,” performed at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, and recorded duo albums Stormbringer! and The Road to Ruin with her husband John Martyn, albums that blended folk and rock and featured musicians like Levon Helm. After a period away from the spotlight, she returned in the 1990s, touring with Loudon Wainwright III and releasing the album No Frills.

In 2014 she issued The Phoenix and The Turtle, a comeback record that included a newly completed song with Nick Drake, and her earlier track “Primrose Hill” was sampled by Fatboy Slim. Beverley Martyn died peacefully at home on 27 April 2026, aged 79, leaving a legacy as a pioneering figure in British folk music.