: Collins found herself unable to sing, even in private. She largely withdrew from the music world for nearly 40 years, taking low-level jobs and focusing on raising her children. The "Phoenix-Like" Return
She has since continued to record and perform, releasing further albums such as Heart's Ease and Archangel Hill , cementing her status as the "first lady" of English folk. The Ballad of Shirley Collins (2017) - IMDb The Ballad of Shirley Collins
The life of Shirley Collins is often described as a tragic and triumphant ballad itself, marked by a legendary song-collecting journey, a devastating medical condition that silenced her for decades, and a late-life return to the stage . : Collins found herself unable to sing, even in private
Born in Hastings, East Sussex, in 1935, Shirley Collins grew up in a family deeply rooted in traditional English song. In 1954, she met famed American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in London and eventually became his lover and research assistant. The Ballad of Shirley Collins (2017) - IMDb