Folk legend Vin Garbutt is on the road to recovery after illness forced him to cancel a tour of the Far East and Australia.
The much loved singer, who lives in Loftus, east Cleveland, has sent a message to well wishers thanking them for all their support after falling ill in October.
South Bank born Vin, 67, was forced to cancel all of his gigs until Christmas but has now decided to call off his shows until spring 2015 - including the planned tour Down Under scheduled for the start of the new year.
Vin, known for his poignant songs and unique on-stage Teesside humour, had just put the finishing touches to Synthetic Hues, his first new album for nine years, when he fell ill.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by all the letters, cards and Facebook and Twitter messages I’ve received from fans and well-wishers, including many from Australia and other countries,” said dad-of-four Vin.
“It’s a blow because up until I became ill it had been a really busy year and I was particularly looking forward to going back to Australia.
“But I’ve been uplifted by the get well messages that have flooded in, it’s been fantastic. I’d like to thank them all very much - I couldn’t have
made the recovery I have without them all.”
Vin underwent a major heart operation ten years ago and tests have shown that the repair is working well. However, doctors have advised that he take it easy for a while.
He lost his appetite during his illness and has shed almost a stone, but he’s now starting to enjoy his food again and is well on the road to recovery.
In 2001 Vin won Best Live Act in the BBC Folk Awards and was given an honorary degree from Teesside University for services to music and the region. His new album is Vin’s first since 2005’s Persona...Grata and is his16th since he debuted with Valley of Tees in 1972.
The title Synthetic Hues refers to the sky above the Wilton chemical works, where he was an apprentice turner before embarking on his music career.
“It comes from a line in one of the songs, Teacher From Persia, which is about Farhad and his wife Simin, who were asylum seekers from Iran who were billeted in Grangetown,” says Vin.
“They’d converted to Christianity and so they had to escape their homeland. It’s a success story because Farhad is now a teacher of Farsi in London.”
Vin’s unplanned sabbatical will give him the opportunity time to spend with his family, including three young grandchildren, with a fourth on the
way. But he’s already looking forward to getting back to entertaining his fans.“I’ve got a full diary from April 2015 and God-willing I’ll be able to get back to normality,” he said.
*Synthetic Hues costs £12 and is available along with Vin’s other recordings from www.vingarbutt.com
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