Joan Armatrading’s 50-year music career is being marked with the release of a new live album.
The 71-year-old’s ‘Live at Asylum Chapel’ is out November 18 on BMG after the BBC recently honoured the singer with a screening of the show, which was streamed worldwide during lockdown last year for one night, and was followed by the documentary about her life and music ‘Me Myself I’.
Joan said: “Fifty years is a long time but for me it’s flown by and I still get the same thrill from writing songs as when I started.
“This live album is a great way to look back and also bring my story right up to date by including songs from the latest album. I’m really happy that so many people still want to listen to them and sing along.”
Joan’s concert from south London’s Asylum Chapel featured some of her most famous songs including ‘Drop the Pilot’, ‘The Weakness in Me’, ‘Me Myself I’ and ‘Willow’.
Songs from her latest Top 10 studio album ‘Consequences’ also got their live debut, such as ‘Natural Rhythm’, ‘Consequences’, ‘Already There’, ‘Better Life’, ‘Glorious Madness’ and ‘To Anyone Who Will Listen’.
The album features Joan’s live band – Jennifer Maidman on bass, Paul Stewart (drums), Alex Lee Richards (keyboards) and Jamie Anderson (saxophone.)
Arriving on her own to join her parents in Birmingham from St Kitts aged seven, Joan taught herself to play piano and guitar before becoming Britain’s first female singer songwriter to gain international success.
She has produced and played every instrument on her records since 2003.
Her admirers range from Bob Dylan to Arlo Parks and she is the first UK female artist to debut at No1 in Billboard’s Blues charts and the first female UK artist to be nominated for a Grammy in the Blues category.
She has an Ivor Novello Academy Fellowship Award, Lifetime Achievement from the Radio 2 Folk Awards and an MPG Outstanding Contribution Award to UK Music.
Awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth in 2001, she was given the CBE in 2020.
The same year, she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Woman of the Year.
She also holds six honorary degrees, doctorates or fellowships from various universities – and has appeared in ‘The Beano’.
Her 50-year landmark is also being celebrated by Faber, who will publish ‘The Weakness In Me: Selected Lyrics’ on November 3, featuring a foreword by revered record producer Glyn Johns.