King of the Beggars - The Music of Billy Waters

"Music does this thing that nothing else can do. Words can't really do it, politics certainly can't do it, but that just seeps in, and that everybody's connected. You're just hearing this sound vibrating through you. It's a sort of miraculous thing..." Paterson Joseph

Actor and author Paterson Joseph explores the extraordinary life and legacy of Billy Waters – Britain’s first popular black musician – who was famous as the ‘King of the Beggars’ in the Regency era but who died in poverty busking outside the Adelphi Theatre which hosted the hit musical that made his name.

We hear from Dr Mary L Shannon, author of 'Billy Waters Is Dancing' (Yale University Press), noted historian of the fiddle Paul Roberts, musicians Angeline Morrison (Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience) and Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (Radio 2 Folk Award), street performer Chris Welford and the Jump Billy concert at Cecil Sharp House. Also featuring Hamilton Gross, Clarke Camilleri, Maz O'Connor and Martin Simpson.

Thanks to Ben Park (Jump Billy arrangement), everyone at Cecil Sharp House (including Katy Spicer, Sammie Squire & Lucy Grant) and Oskar Cox Jensen.

Academic Consultant, Dr Mary L Shannon
Editor, Ross Burman
Producer, Andrew Smith
Exec Producer, Kris Dyer

A Rakkit Production for BBC Radio 3