Jackie Leven | Artist

Jackie Leven was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician born 1950 in Kirkcaldy, UK. He started his career as a folk musician then formed the new wave band Doll by Doll, which disbanded in 1983 having released four albums. After a hiatus, Leven's solo career restarted in 1992 and he went on to record many excellent folk-rock albums under his own name or under the pseudonym Sir Vincent Lone. Outstanding albums include The Mystery of Love is Greater Than the Mystery of Death, Fairy Tales for Hard Men, Creatures of Light and Darkness and Elegy for Johnny Cash. Also highly recommended is the 2021 compilation Straight Outta Caledonia: Songs of Jackie Leven. The 1994 album The Mystery of Love is Greater than the Mystery of Death, which included contributions from the poet Robert Bly and musician Mike Scott, was ranked by Q Magazine as one of the "best 100 albums of all time". Leven's personal life was no less remarkable than his artistic achievement. Around the time of the recording of his first solo album in 1984, he was mugged on the street and nearly strangled, leaving him unable to speak for nearly two years. During this time of recuperation he became addicted to heroin. He eventually cured himself of his addiction with the help of his wife Carol, through a combination of acupuncture, reflexology and alternate medicine. This led him to form The Core Trust organisation, which favours a holistic approach to the treatment of heroin addiction.

Artist Website: jackieleven.co.uk

Featured Albums: Jackie Leven

Related Artists: Doll by Doll, Sir Vincent Lone, John St Field

Video Clips: My Philosophy, Desolation Blues, Ancient Misty Morning