Simon Nicol was born on 13 October 1950 and brought up in North London. He is a founding member of Fairport Convention, joining the band at its inception in 1967. 

  Left to Right:    Ric Sanders   Simon Nicol   Dave Pegg   Chris Leslie

As a teenager, he met local musician Ashley Hutchings. They – with others – formed Fairport Convention, taking the name from Simon’s house ‘Fairport’ where the band rehearsed.

Fairport Convention became hugely successful after vocalist Sandy Denny joined the band. However, after Sandy left,  Simon found himself taking a more prominent role on stage. He also became more involved in studio work and production.

During the 1970s, Simon took a four-year break from Fairport working on various projects as both producer and musician, collaborating with Dave Swarbrick and The Albion Country Band among others.

Simon re-joined Fairport in 1975 and has been the band’s main guitarist and lead singer ever since. However, he has continued to work with other musicians including Dave Swarbrick and Ashley Hutchings and has toured with, among others, Beverley Craven and Art Garfunkel. Simon has also released two solo albums.

Simon lives in Canterbury in Kent.

We were thrilled when he agreed to brave our Spiral Firsts.     

Grab a coffee (or other decaffeinated beverage) … you’re going to enjoy this!

FIRST RECORD YOU EVER BOUGHT

“The Poor People of Paris” by Winifred Atwell. This was so long ago, it was a 78! (Ask your parents/Grandparents)

If you need an earworm ….

FIRST PERSON WHO MADE YOU WANT TO BE A MUSICIAN

It’s going to be Ashley Hutchings, who put me in his little black book of possible musical colleagues when I was fourteen. All because I owned (but could not yet play) a 12-string guitar. I learned first to play, then to understand being in a band under his mentoring.   I still tour with him at Christmas for three weeks, sixty years on.

Albion Christmas Band – Simon front left with Ashley Hutchings front right.

FIRST GIG YOU EVER SAW

My Dad took us to see Count Basie* at Finsbury Park Astoria (which I later played a few times when it became The Rainbow) and that made a big impression. His Big Band made a Big Impression on a little boy.

FIRST THING YOU THINK ABOUT IN THE MORNING

Are my legs/eyes/hands still working? What’s in the diary today? Who do I need to call or see? And most importantly, whose turn is it to go and get the drinks?   (I am impressed that you can think of so many different things, to actually be able to think at all,  is a bonus for many of us!)
 
FIRST PERSON YOU’D INVITE TO A PARTY

Stephen Fry. If he turns out to be a terrific piano player, so much the better.  

A Musical Interlude with Stephen Fry Dir./Prod. Claude Gonzalez    Well,  Guess that answers that question as well ?!

FIRST THING YOU’LL BUY WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR FIRST MILLION

An Audi S8. Boring, I know…  (Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder Simon)

FIRST THING YOU’LL ABOLISH WHEN YOU RULE THE WORLD

Any link between church and state.
 
FIRST ALBUM YOU’D SAVE IF YOUR HOUSE WENT UP IN FLAMES

Abbey Road. Well, strictly speaking, I mean side two of the LP which seems symphonic in its self-contained completeness. So from “Here Comes the Sun” onwards.

 
FIRST PERSON YOU’D SEND ON A ONE-WAY TICKET TO THE HEART OF THE SUN

Does the number 47 suggest anything to anyone?    (Ooohh that’s clever, no need to worry about your cognitive function first thing in the morning! For those who’s cogs are whirring see below **) 
 
FIRST THING YOU EVER PERFORMED IN PUBLIC

No strong memory of early performance on my own, but the first song I can remember singing with the band was Absolutely Sweet Marie from Blonde on Blonde.
 
FIRST SONG YOU’D HAVE PLAYED AT YOUR FUNERAL

That reminds me to finally make up my mind and firm this up. But deciding is like writing a list for Desert Island Discs,  in case somehow or other you get asked: the list will be different tomorrow. But for today, let’s go with the brilliant Beth Neilsen Chapman’s own response to the loss (to cancer) of her first husband –Sand and Water.

(Think you better grab some tissues… )

FIRST INSTRUMENT YOU EVER OWNED

A Martin Coletti archtop f-hole guitar. It was no friend,  but of course,  it was all I knew then and there was no possibility of getting it set up properly.
 
FIRST PERSON YOU’D RAISE FROM THE DEAD

My Dad – he died before I had a chance to speak with him as someone more than a kid. I’d hope he would be proud I’d managed to make a living in music. 
 
FIRST TRACK ON YOUR APPLE MUSIC OR SPOTIFY MOST PLAYED LIST

It looks like The Pilgrimage, from Duncan Chisholm’s beautiful ‘Sandwood’ CD.

℗ Copperfish Records
 

FIRST PERSON YOU’D ASK TO JOIN YOUR ALL-STAR BAND

A twenty-five year old Linda Ronstadt  (If I have done my Maths correctly she would have been 25 in 1971)  

        Manchester Square, London 1971 Linda Ronstadt 

(Simon has just got in touch ” It was actually 1970 we all hung out with her and she sang with us at The Troubadour, so she was 24″  thanks for helping out there Simon,  again proving your cognitive skills are far superior to mine!  )

FIRST THING YOU’D LIKE TO CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF

To be kinder and more patient. Or is that two things??  (Two admirable and lovely things,  we weren’t counting! )
 
FIRST ARTIST YOU’D BOOK TO APPEAR AT YOUR OWN UNLIMITED BUDGET FESTIVAL

James Taylor.

2023 Gershwin Prize Salute to Joni Mitchell    www.jamestaylor.com

We would like to thank Mr Simon Nicol for taking the time,  in his ever hectic schedule,  between the Fairport Cropredy Convention www.fairportconvention.com in August and the band’s Autumn Tour spiralearth.co.uk/fairport-convention-autumn-uk-tour-2025  to share his ‘Firsts’ with us.  This unique insight into his early musical career and collaborations has been truly enlightening.  We are more than certain,  your father would have been extremely proud of your musical career and we are all grateful,  that you found yourself in Ashley Hutchings, little black book of possible musical colleagues at such an early age.

For further information please visit http://www.fairportconvention.com

* Count Basie. a pianist, played vaudeville before eventually forming his own big band and helping to define the era of swing with hits like “One O’clock Jump” and “Blue Skies.” In 1958, Basie became the first African American male recipient of a Grammy Award. One of jazz music’s all-time greats, he won many other Grammys throughout his career and worked with a plethora of artists, including Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald.

** type ‘who is the 47th President of the USA’  in your search engine (wink)