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Dave Cousins was born David Joseph Hindson on January 7th, 1940, in Hounslow, Middlexex, England. His father Joseph Hindson was killed in action later that year, and his widow married Jack Cousins after the war ended in 1945.
While attending Thames Valley Grammar School in Twickenham, he met Tony Hooper, a fellow musician, with whom he set up the Gin Bottle Four, before going on to the University of Leicester where he studied statistics and pure mathematics. Some sixty years later, the same university would also award him an honorary degree of Doctor of Music
During the British folk revival of the early 1960s, Dave became fascinated with the storytelling potential of folk music and its ability to evolve into something more expansive and genre-blending. That instinct - to fuse the traditional with the adventurous - defined his career from the start.
In the mid-1960s, he formed a bluegrass-influenced band called the Strawberry Hill Boys, a name later shortened to the Strawbs as the group evolved into something far more experimental. At the beginning, they played largely acoustic folk music and performed alongside acts like Sandy Denny, who sang with them for a time before joining Fairport Convention. Dave Cousins emerged as the chief songwriter and creative leader, contributing not only his distinctive nasal voice but also his imaginative lyrical sensibility, often tinged with surreal imagery and mysticism.
Dave led the Strawbs through a series of reinventions that charted a remarkable progression from pastoral folk to ambitious progressive rock. In 1970, the band released "Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios", recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. That album included "The Antique Suite," a multipart composition that showcased Cousins’ penchant for extended narrative and his skill in combining poetic lyrics with shifting musical dynamics. It marked a turning point in their identity, drawing on harpsichord, organ, and medieval motifs that hinted at the progressive leanings to come.
In 1971, Dave wrote "The Hangman and the Papist," a controversial and gripping song from the album "From the Witchwood". It told the story of two brothers divided by ideology during the Northern Ireland conflict, and it highlighted his boldness as a songwriter who wasn’t afraid to address politically sensitive themes. His writing gained further complexity with the album "Grave New World" in 1972, which featured the haunting and philosophical "Benedictus." That song - built around a soaring melody and a spiritual theme - was one of many moments where Dave managed to balance introspection with grandeur.
Later that same year, the Strawbs released "Bursting at the Seams", which brought commercial success. The album included two of Cousins’ best-known songs: "Part of the Union," which was sung by bassist John Ford but co-written by Dave, became a surprise UK hit and an unlikely labour anthem; and "Lay Down," a hymnlike rocker driven by gospel backing vocals and shimmering electric guitar. "Lay Down" became a Top 20 hit in the UK and established the Strawbs as a mainstream force, though Cousins continued to steer them into more adventurous musical territory.
Even as personnel shifted - Rick Wakeman played keyboards for a time before joining Yes - Cousins remained the band’s anchor and primary visionary. His songs often reflected spiritual longing, pastoral imagery, and a yearning for transcendence, as heard in later tracks like "Autumn" and "Ghosts," both of which appeared on the 1974 album "Hero and Heroine". Those works were cinematic in scale, driven by Mellotron, guitar and Cousins’ expressive vocals. Though the band never quite recaptured the commercial heights of the early '70s, they continued to release richly textured albums that built a devoted cult following.
Outside the Strawbs, Cousins pursued solo projects, including the 1972 album "Two Weeks Last Summer", which featured contributions from Roger Glover of Deep Purple and Rick Wakeman. That record gave him room to explore more personal and experimental terrain, with songs like "Blue Angel" and "Going Home" displaying his lyrical vulnerability and emotional range. He later collaborated with fellow musicians like Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig, and produced albums that maintained his commitment to well-crafted songwriting and layered storytelling.
Dave Cousins also played a significant role in broadcasting, working for Denmark Radio from 1969 to 1979, nad subsequently as Programme Controller for Radio Tees (1980–1982) and Managing Director of Devon Air from 1982 to 1990. He wasl also invvolved with Thames Radio (Kingston-upon-Thames), Radio Victory (Portsmouth) and XFM in London, and was widely recognised as an expert in putting together applications for commercial radio station licences.
Despite his professional obligations outside of performing, he never stopped writing songs. Whether addressing personal struggle, metaphysical questions, or social issues, he kept finding new ways to express his vision.
Throughout his career, Cousins was one of the most respected figures in British progressive folk-rock. His voice - by turns fragile, intense, and defiant - remained instantly recognizable, and his songs continued to blend the literary with the emotional. He toured intermittently with different incarnations of the Strawbs, keeping the music alive for new generations. Whether in songs like "A Glimpse of Heaven," "The Shepherd’s Song," or "Ringing Down the Years," Dave Cousins carved out a unique legacy as a storyteller, a musical innovator, and a deeply individual voice in British music.
Dave Cousins died at the age of 85, on the 13th July 2025, at the Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury, England, of undisclosed causes.
© Jim Liddane
Copyright Songwriter Magazine, International Songwriters Association & Jim Liddane: All Rights Reserved
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