SAMMY HARRISON
SINGER, SONGWRITER, MUSICIAN
© Alistair Fleming
WHO ARE YOU, SAMMY?
Born in West Yorkshire, with Irish and Canadian roots, Sammy's musical journey began when he grandmother Evie would play him country artists - Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Glen Campbell - in her flat on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
His father, who you could find proudly singing Gospel most sundays, reinfoirced this love of Americana, introducing Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Paul Simon on the those long summer car trips to the seaside. Being raised in the post-industrial north came with it's own sounds. Celtic folk and singer songwriters circulating from Ireland, Christy Moore, Damiem Rice, could be found woven in with sounds of Brit Pop: The Verve, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene.
The fascination with songwriting and the love of live performance, saw Sammy migrate to the south coast city of Brighton. His twenties were a blend of studying composition, playing session guitar on as many records as possible and touring europe, sleeping in vans on hard shoulders.
Sammy has a strong passionate for working with young people with mental health and special needs. Sammy has ran a behaviour unit in a specialist college and ran music workshops in homeless shelters and young centres. This drive led to the formation of New Rock Generation based at Small Pond Studios, a specialised band workshop service aimed at providing professional music opportunities to bands with additional needs.
Sammy is also a skilled tour manager, contributing to high-profile tours, including managing Memorial for Richard Thompson's (Fairport Convention) performances at iconic venues like The Brighton Dome and Alexandra Palace in London.
He is also a sought-after touring session musician, having played with Alana Springsteen during her MainStage performance at the 2023 Long Road Festival.
Since turning 30, Sammy has struck out on his own as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and performer. He sang the theme song for BBC One's The Syndicate, and has toured extensively across Europe and the USA alongside renowned artists such as Starsailor, Caroline Spence, Ben Caplan, Karley Scott Collins, and Morgan Wade.
UPCOMING SHOWS
WHAT ELSE YOU GOT...
300 British pounds
300 British pounds
VIDEO
