Biography
Kathryn Roberts is an English folk singer, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She performed and recorded in the 1990s with Kate Rusby as Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts before Roberts and Rusby formed the English folk 'supergroup' Equation along with Devon-based folk musicians The Lakeman Brothers (Sean Lakeman, Sam Lakeman, and Seth Lakeman). Subsequently, she has been recording as Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman.
A lauded singer, one of the finest of her generation, Roberts is held in the highest regard by peers and music fans alike. Born and raised in the South Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley, Roberts has sung since she could speak. Her musical parents took great delight in introducing her to many types of music including a regular summer trawl of folk festivals. This engendered a life long love of traditional song and also introduced her to some of the finest young talent on the British folk scene. An early duo career with fellow Barnsleyite Kate Rusby (as Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts) led to much critical acclaim and an award winning album.
This partnership led swiftly to the teaming up with The Lakeman Brothers (Sean Lakeman, Sam Lakeman, and Seth Lakeman) from West Devon and the folk–pop band Equation was born. Many years fronting the band saw Roberts grace stages all over the world, five years of which were spent almost exclusively in the U.S. Her relationship with Sean Lakeman flourished both personally and musically, and after a decade of relentless touring the two decided to return to their English folk roots and gig as an acoustic duo Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman. A series of albums, and a ‘Best Duo’ award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, cemented a formidable reputation at the very forefront of British contemporary folk music.
Roberts took part in the Cecil Sharp Project in March 2011, a multi-artist residential project organised by the Shrewsbury Folk Festival to create new works based on the life, work and collecting of folklorist Cecil Sharp.
In 2020, Roberts appeared as a guest on the song Lift Dickie Bird Where He Belongs by the Barnsley comedy band The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, duetting with the band's lead singer Scott Doonican.
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