Dave Cousins, one of the greatest English singers-songwriters, has died today, aged 85. Not that it was unexpected but it hurts just the same. Charming and stubborn in equal measure, David is mostly known as the founder and leader of STRAWBS, yet his role in the establishment of independent radio in the UK should not be underestimated either. Both of these aspects would boil down to Cousins’ personality, though, and his deep understanding of human nature.
Indeed, it was Dave’s individual vision that allowed him to always pick right band members and allowed his ensemble to retain identity through numerous genre changes Cousins wanted to try on for size, switching quite easily from folk rock, which the brief presence in the ranks of Sandy Denny emboldened, to prog, something which served as a launch pad for the performing career of Rick Wakeman and, later, welcomed the ivories master’s scions, Oliver and Adam, to the line-up, to glam and beyond. In the company of such kindred spirits as Dave Lambert and Chas Cronk David used to create brilliant music to match his poetry, but Cousins’ arguably best moment as a romantic minstrel came earlier, on “Tears And Pavan” which he co-penned with John Ford and Richard Hudson back in 1973 and which can become his eulogy:
“Where are the tears
That you should be crying right now?
I see the world weariness
In your eyes.
I hear your voice
Soft and sad.”
This scribe was privileged to see STRAWBS a couple of times, in both acoustic and electric variants and to speak to Dave. We’ve never done a proper interview, though, always deferring it, because Cousins detailed his life in a couple of books, and we never will now. Rest in Peace, David.
