Editing Ewan MacColl (section)

{{Short description|British folk singer-songwriter and activist (1915–1989)}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Ewan MacColl
| image              = Portrait photograph of Ewan MacColl.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = James Henry Miller
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1915|01|25|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Broughton, Salford|Broughton]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1989|10|22|1915|01|25|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[Brompton, London]], England
| occupation         = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|folk song collector|labour activist|actor}}
| party              = [[Communist Party of Great Britain]] (CPGB)
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Joan Littlewood]]|1934|1949|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Jean Newlove|1949|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Peggy Seeger]]|25 January 1977}}
}} 
| children           = 5, including [[Kirsty MacColl]]
| relatives     = {{ubl|[[Pete Seeger]] (brother-in-law)}}
| years_active       = 1930–1989
}}

'''James Henry Miller''' (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989),<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=1552}}</ref> better known by his stage name '''Ewan MacColl''', was a British [[Folk music|folk]] singer-songwriter, folk song collector, [[Union organizer|labour activist]] and actor. Born in England to [[Scottish people|Scottish]] parents, he is known as one of the instigators of the 1960s [[British folk revival|folk revival]] as well as for writing such songs as "[[The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face]]" and "[[Dirty Old Town]]".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Spencer|first=Neil|date=25 January 2015|title=Ewan MacColl: the godfather of folk who was adored – and feared|language=en-GB|work=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/25/ewan-maccoll-godfather-folk-adored-and-feared|access-date=2020-11-14|issn=0029-7712}}</ref>

MacColl collected hundreds of traditional folk songs,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Search: Ewan MacColl|url=https://www.vwml.org/search?q=ewan%20maccoll&is=1|website=Vaughan Williams Memorial Library}}</ref> including the version of "[[Scarborough Fair (ballad)|Scarborough Fair]]" later popularised by [[Simon & Garfunkel]],<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{Cite web|title=Sold on Song – Song Library – Scarborough Fair|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/indepth/scarborough.shtml|access-date=2020-11-14|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="vwml.org">{{Cite web|title=Scarborough Fair (Roud Folksong Index S160453)|url=https://www.vwml.org/record/RoudFS/S160453|access-date=2020-11-14|website=The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library|language=en-gb}}</ref> and released dozens of albums with [[A. L. Lloyd|A.L. Lloyd]], [[Peggy Seeger]] and others, mostly of traditional folk songs.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ewan MacColl|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/615404-Ewan-MacColl|access-date=2020-11-14|website=Discogs|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> He also wrote many left-wing [[Revolutionary song|political songs]], remaining a steadfast [[Communism|communist]] throughout his life and actively engaging in political activism.<ref name=":0" />