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Martyn Littlefair
Martyn Littlefair trained as an actor at Mounview Academy of Theatre Arts in North London. He graduated in 1984 and wrote his first song in 1986. By 1989 he had tired of the theatrical life, decided that music had been his true vocation all along and returned to Teesside.
In May that year He attended the very first meeting of The Stockton Music and Arts Collective and became their first vice chairman.
"I was married at the time and the wife wouldn't let me have any vice."
He also walked out of that meeting with the first line up of his band, Skulduggery, which ran for six years and twenty five members. "I was trying to break Ian Anderson's record but circumstances dictated otherwise." He retired in 1996 to concentrate on his business interests.
By 2000 he had re-emerged as a musician on the Teesside Folk scene and, along with Fiona Harley, performed in clubs from Northumberland to London. This partnership lasted until the end of 2001 when he retired for a second time.
In July 2008 he was walking along the street, minding his own business when he bumped into Jeff Butterfield, an old friend from the days of the collective, who suggested that they appear together in an upcoming concert to be held in Stockton the following month. This was answered with a resounding and definite, "No!!!"
Nevertheless he turned up for the gig at Stockton. "Which is more than Jeff did; he'd accepted a booking at The Edinburgh Fringe and who can blame him?"
He re-emerged again and went back to the folk scene not venturing much further than Stockton until discovering, in 2009, the delights of the Acoustic Clubs and Open Mic Nights. It was at one of these that he met up with another old friend, Martin Nesbitt, who encouraged the direction he would eventually take, "You're a bloody funny bloke Martyn - use it!"
He is best known for his humorous and quirky lyrics which include whaling songs in which the whales always win, protest songs about the absence of groupies in folk clubs and work songs. He is currently working on a song about Teesside's major industry in the 21st Century, The Middlesbrough Twocking Song."
"You see, I don't so much play folk music as take the piss out of it something rotten!"
Martyn is also the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter in The Ghost of Smokey Joe.
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