Jim Radford

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Jim Radford
Born(1928-10-01)1 October 1928
Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died6 November 2020(2020-11-06) (aged 92)
Lewisham, London, England
GenresFolk, Maritime music

James Radford (1 October 1928 – 6 November 2020) was an English folk singer-songwriter, peace campaigner and community activist. He was also the youngest known participant in the

Allied invasion of Normandy
in June 1944.

The first song Radford wrote, "The Shores of Normandy", is also his most successful and best known, having been performed by him at two televised concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in 2014 and released as a single in May 2019 to raise funds for the Normandy Memorial Trust. It topped the Amazon and iTunes download charts in the first week of June 2019, and reached number 72 on the official charts.

Life and career

Radford was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England in October 1928. He became a member of the Merchant Navy at 15 and later joined the Royal Navy upon turning 18.

He later became active in various peace campaigns. He retired after a varied career which included time as an Engineering Worker, in the press and in various roles in Community Work and Social Action initiatives.

Radford performed his song, "The Shores of Normandy", at the

Légion d'Honneur[2] by the French Republic "in recognition of... steadfast involvement in the Liberation of France during the Second World War".[3]

He died from COVID-19 on 6 November 2020, after spending three weeks in intensive care. He was 92.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Jim Radford - The Shores of Normandy". YouTube. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  2. ^ 'Folk singer gets France's top gong' South London Press, 21 November 2015
  3. ^ Extract from the letter of citation from the French Consul which accompanied the medal
  4. ^ JIM RADFORD – PRESENTÉ