Marc Floyd Ellington OStJ DL HonFRIAS was an American-born British folk and folk-rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bagpiper.
15 Facts About Marc Ellington
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Marc Ellington recorded in Britain in the late 1960s and 1970s, and became active in conservation work in Scotland, restoring his home at Towie Barclay Castle, Aberdeenshire.
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The son of a radio broadcaster, Ellington was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, US, a suburb of Boston.
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Marc Ellington moved to Britain to avoid the Vietnam War draft, and in 1967, he was married in London.
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Marc Ellington was described as "the first American to refuse his draft call publicly in Great Britain", and was pictured presenting his US Army induction papers to Canon John Collins in what he described as "a symbolic gesture in seeking the sanctuary of the Church".
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Several Dylan songs alongside others by Tim Hardin, Al Stewart, Phil Ochs and John Martyn were included on Ellington's debut LP, Marc Ellington, released in 1969, which contained arrangements by Johnny Arthey.
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Marc Ellington provided backing vocals on Fairport Convention's third album, Unhalfbricking, in 1969, and appeared on former Fairport Convention member Ian Matthews' debut solo album Matthews' Southern Comfort.
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Marc Ellington then returned to the Philips label for two further albums, A Question of Roads and Restoration.
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Marc Ellington became a British citizen in 1979 through the naturalization process.
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Marc Ellington continued to perform, often working on recordings with Richard and Linda Thompson, and occasionally performing at Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival.
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Marc Ellington was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Aberdeen in 2015 because of his conservation work, and was appointed the Deputy Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire on 26 October 1984, and a member of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for Scotland.
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Marc Ellington was a board member of the Historic Buildings Council, the Grampian Enterprise and the British Heritage Committee.
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Marc Ellington was a non-executive director of Historic Scotland, a board member of Banff and Buchan College and a Trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland.
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Marc Ellington set up the Scottish Traditional Skills Training Centre.
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Marc Ellington developed a serious heart condition, and died on 17 February 2021.