Brought up near Hastings in a musical family, Shirley Collins moved to London aged 17, where she became involved in the early folk revival. After her debut album, Sweet England, in 1959, she released a number of seminal folk records, including collaborations with artists such as Ewan MacColl, Alan Lomax, and her sister, Dolly. However, in 1978 Collins withdrew from music following a traumatic divorce. She was awarded an MBE in 2007, and last year released her first album in 38 years, Lodestar, to wide acclaim. Collins is nominated for album of the year and singer of the year at this year’s Radio 2 folk awards, which will be broadcast on BBC4 at 10pm tonight. Her tour begins on 29 April in Warwick. [ . . . ]

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