Full Breakdown
Ed Sheeran’s Endorsement Revives Folk Singer Allan Taylor’s Legacy
6/13/2026, 12:54:48 PM
Sheeran’s Discovery Sparks Renewed Interest
In April, Ed Sheeran posted on Instagram that he had found Allan Taylor’s 1978 LP *The Traveller* in a Williamsburg record shop and “love[d] it,” noting that the album was unavailable online. Following the post, the album was added to Spotify for the first time, prompting a surge in streams and renewed media attention for the 80-year-old folk artist.
Allan Taylor: A Life on the Road
Taylor grew up in Brighton before abandoning a telephone-engineer apprenticeship at age 21 to travel Europe in 1966. He financed his journey by selling birthday presents and survived nights on the streets of Stockholm by playing in bars. Over the next decade he lived in a van, performed across the UK and Ireland, and eventually joined Fairport Convention on a Royal Albert Hall bill, a leap from club gigs to a 5,000-person audience.
Milestones and Setbacks
A US record label signed Taylor after the Royal Albert Hall appearance, but he “didn’t get a lawyer” and lost thousands. He later moved to New York, mingled with Bob Marley’s Wailers, and signed with Island Records as a songwriter. Vocal-cord nodes forced a three-month silence, after which he recorded *The Traveller*. The album won Best Folk Album at the Montreux Jazz Festival and, in 1996, Taylor re-recorded its title track and “Cold Hard Town” for the album *Looking For You*. Health problems this summer forced the cancellation of farewell concerts planned at folk clubs.
Data & Streaming Surge
Since the Spotify release, Taylor’s highest monthly-listener cities are Warsaw, Bonn and Berlin. *The Traveller* track “Good To See You” has been covered more than 100 times, including versions by Don Williams, Nana Mouskouri and Hannes Wader, further expanding his European profile.
Why It Matters: Legacy and New Audiences
Sheeran’s endorsement has introduced Taylor’s catalogue to a younger, global audience, potentially prompting new cover versions and preserving the “romance of the road” narrative that defined his generation of troubadours. The renewed visibility also highlights the challenges faced by folk artists who achieved critical acclaim without mainstream commercial success.
Official Statements & Responses
Sheeran’s Instagram caption expressed enthusiasm for discovering *The Traveller* and lamented its scarcity online. Taylor replied that he found it “flattering that someone of his stature has seen something in what I do as being interesting,” and described Sheeran as “down-to-earth, friendly and very interesting as a songwriter.” He also noted that the two have spoken at length on the phone and that Sheeran expressed a desire to visit for tea.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Everything I did wrong, he did right,” — Allan Taylor, singer-songwriter
- “I found my voice at about two o'clock in the morning in a bar in Brussels.” — Allan Taylor
- “There's not many of us left who can remember what happened or what we did and what it was like, and I think young people are interested,” — Allan Taylor
- “I think that's why Ed is interested.” — Allan Taylor
What’s Next
Taylor hinted that a cover version by Sheeran could be forthcoming, while his team plans to resume touring once health issues are resolved. Continued streaming growth and additional cover recordings are expected to further cement his place in contemporary folk discourse.
