The Sorrow Songs Band rehearse Jump Billy (new song about Billy Waters, d.1823)

The Sorrow Songs Band getting together to rehearse Jump Billy, Angeline’s new song about Billy Waters. Brother Billy, who died in dire poverty in a workhouse in St Giles, London, 1823, was a formerly enslaved African American musician.
He lost a leg in an accident on board ship while serving in the British Royal Navy, and developed dance routines using his wooden prosthesis. He was a renowned and celebrated street musician in London, famous for his fiddle playing, singing, and the incredible hats he made, resembling a fully rigged ship, or covered in feathers. Rest in Power, Billy.
Soon after this rehearsal we headed over to Daunt Books, Marylebone, for the book launch of Dr Mary Shannon’s new scholarly work “Billy Waters is Dancing”. We were honoured to perform the song as part of Mary’s book launch and to help celebrate Billy’s spirit.
The Sorrow Songs Band are: Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne on concertina, Hamilton Gross on violin, Clarke Camilleri on banjo, Angeline Morrison on vocals.
#BillyWaters #DrMaryShannon #BillyWatersIsDancing