Editing Kate Rusby

{{Short description|English folk singer-songwriter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name                = Kate Rusby
| image               = Kate Rusby - Cambridge Folk Festival 50th Anniversary (14828569321) (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Rusby performing at the 2014<br>[[Cambridge Folk Festival]]
| birth_name          = Kate Anna Rusby
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1973|12|04|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Penistone]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
| occupation          = Singer-songwriter
| years_active        = 1992–present
| spouse              = {{ubl|{{marriage|[[John McCusker]]|2001|2006|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Damien O'Kane]]|2010}}}}
| children            = 2
| module              = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed               = yes
| genre               = [[English folk music]]
| instrument          = Guitar, vocals, piano, fiddle
| label               = Pure Records
| associated_acts     = [[Damien O'Kane]], [[The Poozies]]
| past_member_of      = [[Equation (band)|Equation]], [[The Poozies]]
| website             = {{URL|katerusby.com/}}
}}
}}

'''Kate Anna Rusby''' (born 4 December 1973)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kate-rusby.weebly.com/kate-rusby-biography.html|title=Kate Rusby Biography - Kate Rusby|website=Kate-rusby.weebly.com|access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref> is an English [[English folk music|folk]] singer-songwriter from [[Penistone]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England. Sometimes called the "Barnsley Nightingale", she has headlined various British folk festivals, and is one of the best known contemporary English folk singers. In 2001 ''[[The Guardian]]'' described her as "a superstar of the British acoustic scene." In 2007 the BBC website described her as "The first lady of young folkies". She is one of the few folk singers to have been nominated for the [[Mercury Prize]].

==Career==
Rusby was born into a family of musicians in 1973 in [[Penistone]], Barnsley and grew up in nearby [[Cawthorne]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley|Barnsley]].<ref name="KR.comBiog">{{cite web|url=https://katerusby.com/about/ |title=About Kate |website=KateRusby.com |accessdate=24 December 2023 }}</ref> After learning to play the guitar, the fiddle and the piano, as well as to sing, she played in many local folk festivals as a child and adolescent, before joining (and becoming the lead vocalist of) the all-female [[Celtic music|Celtic folk]] band [[the Poozies]]. 1995 saw the release of her breakthrough album, ''Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts'', a collaboration with her friend and fellow Barnsley folk singer [[Kathryn Roberts]]. In 1997, with the help of her family, Rusby recorded and released her first solo album, ''[[Hourglass (Kate Rusby album)|Hourglass]]''. Since then she has gone on to receive acclaim in her home country and abroad and her family continues to help her with all aspects of her professional career.

Rusby was also a member of the folk group [[Equation (band)|Equation]], later to be replaced by [[Cara Dillon]]. The early line-up also featured Rusby's erstwhile performing partner Kathryn Roberts and Mercury-nominated artist [[Seth Lakeman]], and his brother, [[Sean Lakeman]]. Their first EP, ''In Session'', had a small commercial release and led to them signing a major record deal with WEA.

The previously unreleased song "Wandering Soul" was Rusby's contribution to ''[[Billy Connolly's Musical Tour of New Zealand]]'', the soundtrack to [[Billy Connolly]]'s eight-part [[BBC One]] television documentary series ''World Tour of New Zealand'', originally broadcast in November 2004.

[[Image:KRusby Larmer08.jpg|thumb|Rusby at the [[Larmer Tree Festival]] 2008]]
A collaboration with [[Ronan Keating]] saw Rusby riding high in the [[UK Singles Chart]]; their duet "[[All Over Again (Ronan Keating and Kate Rusby song)|All Over Again]]" peaked at No. 6 in June 2006. She also made a vocal contribution to ''[[My Secret Is My Silence]]'', the successful debut solo album of [[Roddy Woomble]], the lead singer of [[Idlewild (band)|Idlewild]]. In the same year her [[cover version|cover]] of [[The Kinks]]' "[[The Village Green Preservation Society]]" was used as the theme tune to the BBC One television sitcom ''[[Jam & Jerusalem]]''. Rusby wrote several new songs for the series, and was credited as being responsible for the show's music.

Launched at the 2007 [[Cambridge Folk Festival]], the album ''[[Awkward Annie]]'' was released on 3 September 2007 and reached No. 2 on the [[UK Independent Singles and Albums Charts|UK indie charts]]. "The Village Green Preservation Society" is included as a bonus track.

2008 saw the release of ''[[Sweet Bells]]'', an album of traditional Christmas songs interpreted by Rusby. She has since released five<ref>{{cite web | url=https://katerusby.com/album/light-years/ | title=Light Years|website=Katerusby.com }}</ref> more Christmas albums: [[While Mortals Sleep (album)|''While Mortals Sleep'']] (2011), ''[[The Frost Is All Over]]'' (2015), ''Angels & Men'' (2017), ''Holly Head'' (2019) and ''Light Years'' (2023). Each December, Rusby embarks on a Christmas tour across the United Kingdom.

[[File:Portraits (Kate Rusby).jpg|thumb|right|Rusby with her daughter at her 2010 wedding to fellow musician [[Damien O'Kane]]]]
In 2010, Rusby released the album ''[[Make the Light]]'', a collection of self-penned songs. In 2014, she released the album ''[[Ghost (Kate Rusby album)|Ghost]]'', which featured traditional songs and three Rusby originals. Rusby's fourteenth solo album, ''[[Life in a Paper Boat]],'' was released in 2016 with a fourth Christmas album ''Angels and Men'', the following year. In May 2019, Rusby released another album entitled ''[[Philosophers, Poets & Kings]]'', her fifth Christmas album followed six months later.

Heading into the new decade, Rusby released a cover album of popular songs including "[[Shake It Off]]" ([[Taylor Swift]]), "[[Everglow (song)|Everglow]]" ([[Coldplay]]) and "[[Friday I'm in Love]]" ([[The Cure]]) plus many more. The album was produced in the height of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], with Rusby saying "It was always the plan to make this album this year, lock-down just made it more intimate".{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} Her most recent work is called ''30: Happy Returns'' and marks 30 years of being a professional musician. The songs are newly recorded versions of favourites from across her career. It was released in May 2022.

In 2001 ''[[The Guardian]]'' described her as "a superstar of the British acoustic scene."<ref name="Guard280601">Denselow, Robin; [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/jun/28/artsfeatures2 "Kate Rusby – Queen Elizabeth Hall, London"] [[The Guardian|''Guardian.co.uk'']], 28 June 2001 (Retrieved: 19 July 2009)</ref> In 2007 the BBC website described her as "The first lady of young folkies". She is one of the few folk singers to have been nominated for the [[Mercury Prize]].<ref name="Ind180601">[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/kate-rusby-queens-hall-edinburgh-674564.html] {{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="BBC070999">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/440503.stm "No sure bets for Mercury"] ''News.bbc.co.uk'', 7 September 1999 (Retrieved: 19 July 2009)</ref>

==Personal life==
In August 2001, Rusby married Scottish fiddler and fellow band member [[John McCusker]] (formerly of the [[Battlefield Band]]), who produced most of her recordings up to ''[[The Girl Who Couldn't Fly]]''. They  divorced in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/24042010-kate-rusby-wyvern-theatre-swindon/|title=Kate Rusby – Wyvern Theatre, Swindon|website=Morethanthemusic.co.uk |date=26 April 2010 |access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2159637/bio |title=Kate Rusby |website=IMDb |access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref>  In June 2010, she married Irish musician [[Damien O'Kane]], with whom she has two children.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/damien-okane-i-knew-kates-music-way-before-i-knew-her-i-love-the-passion-in-her-vocals-34195394.html |title=Damien O'Kane: 'I knew Kate's music way before I knew her ... I love the passion in her vocals' |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph  |access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/worldfolkandjazz/8141221/Kate-Rusby-Make-The-Light-review.html |title=Kate Rusby: Make The Light, review |first=Martin |last=Chilton |date=19 November 201 |website=Telegraph.co.uk |access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Kate Rusby discography}}

===Solo albums===
{{div col}}
*''[[Hourglass (Kate Rusby album)|Hourglass]]'' (1997)
*''[[Sleepless (Kate Rusby album)|Sleepless]]'' (1999)
*''[[Little Lights]]'' (2001)
*''[[10 (Kate Rusby album)|10]]'' (2002)
*''[[Heartlands (Kate Rusby album)|Heartlands]]'' (2003)
*''[[Underneath the Stars (album)|Underneath the Stars]]'' (2003)
*''[[The Girl Who Couldn't Fly]]'' (2005)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2005/09/15/021005_kate_rusby_event_feature.shtml | title = Safe as Folk | publisher = [[BBC]] | date = 15 September 2005 | access-date = 19 July 2009}}</ref>
*''[[Awkward Annie]]'' (2007)
*''[[Make the Light]]'' (2010)
*''[[20 (Kate Rusby album)|20]]'' (2012)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2012/09/kate-rusby-new-album-20-feat-paul-weller | title = Kate Rusby New Album '20' featuring Paul Weller and a host of Folk Giants | publisher = [[Folk Radio UK]] | date = 11 September 2012 | access-date = 18 September 2012}}</ref>
*''[[Ghost (Kate Rusby album)|Ghost]]'' (2014)
*''[[Life in a Paper Boat]]'' (2016)
*''[[Philosophers, Poets & Kings]]'' (2019)
*''[[Hand Me Down]]'' (2020)
*''30: Happy Returns'' (2022)
*''When They All Looked Up'' (2025)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://katerusby.com/album/when-they-all-looked-up/|title=When They All Looked Up – Kate Rusby|website=katerusby.com|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

===Christmas albums===
*''[[Sweet Bells]]'' (2008)
*''[[While Mortals Sleep (album)|While Mortals Sleep]]'' (2011)
*''[[The Frost Is All Over]]'' (2015)
*''Angels and Men'' (2017)
*''Holly Head'' (2019)
*''Light Years'' (2023)

==Awards==

===[[Mercury Prize|Mercury Music Prize]]===
*1999: ''[[Sleepless (Kate Rusby album)|Sleepless]]''  – nominated<ref name="BBC070999"/>

===[[BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards]]===
*2000: Folk Singer of the Year – '''winner'''<ref name="BBCRFA06PreWin">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/folkawards2006/previouswinners.shtml "Radio 2 Folk Awards 2006: Previous Winners"] ''BBC.co.uk'' (Retrieved: 19 July 2009)</ref>
*2000: Best Album: ''[[Sleepless (Kate Rusby album)|Sleepless]]'' – '''winner'''<ref name="BBCRFA06PreWin"/>
*2002: Best Original Song: "Who Will Sing Me Lullabies" – '''winner'''<ref name="BBCRFA06PreWin"/>
*2006: Best Original Song: "No Names" (with [[Roddy Woomble]]) – nominated
*2006: Best Album: ''[[The Girl Who Couldn't Fly]]'' – nominated
*2006: Best Live Act – '''winner'''<ref name="BBCRFA06Win">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/folkawards2006/winners06.shtml "Radio 2 Folk Awards 2006: Winners"] ''BBC.co.uk'' (Retrieved: 19 July 2009)</ref>

===Other===
*2014: [[BASCA]] Gold Badge award<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.m-magazine.co.uk/news/sir-bob-geldof-honoured-gold-badge-awards/|title=Sir Bob Geldof to be honoured by Gold Badge Awards – M Magazine|date=10 September 2014|website=M-magazine.co.uk|access-date=5 December 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{official website|http://www.katerusby.com/}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226215629/http://www.purerecords.net/artists/katerusby/index.htm Artists: Kate Rusby] ''PureRecords.net''

{{Kate Rusby}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusby, Kate}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Barnsley]]
[[Category:People from Penistone]]
[[Category:English folk musicians]]
[[Category:English folk singers]]
[[Category:The Poozies members]]
[[Category:21st-century English women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century English singers]]
[[Category:Equation (band) members]]