A singer/songwriter from Frome, who is living with Parkinson’s disease, has teamed up with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians to record his first solo album, In the Springtime. The impressive line-up boasts 27 Grammys between them and all the proceeds from the sale of the album will go to the charity Parkinson’s UK.
Samuel Smith, aged 46, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in December 2020. Much of his album, In the Springtime was recorded in Frome with Sam Lakeman and his wife, Irish folk singer, Cara Dillon, and then finished in Nashville, Tennessee.
The album is an eclectic mix of bluegrass and acoustic music featuring 15 artists from the US and the UK. These include Ron Block (Alison Krauss band member), pianist Matt Rollings, fiddle legend Stuart Duncan and rising mandolin star, Sierra Hull.
A spokesperson for the project said, “All the songs were written and produced by Samuel Smith who hopes the album will inspire others and kick-start a wider conversation about the therapeutic power of creativity for those living with Parkinson’s.”
Samuel, who is now living in London, and is a director at London-based PR agency, Freuds, said, “A few weeks after diagnosis I had this moment where I looked down at my arm and I couldn’t play the guitar. It was like my head was saying ‘go on then, play’ but I just couldn’t.”
“Playing has always been like breathing, so to suddenly be unable to do it was like having the ground collapse from under me. Fast forward a few months and I had begun to get into a rhythm with my medication. I remember I started strumming and playing again and it was like being reunited with someone I never thought I’d see again.
“Creativity and music felt like the only way for me to make sense of everything, to process it, to escape from it or to take it head on. So, I completely threw myself into it and that is what led to this record.”
As well as Grammy award winners, Samuel’s close friends and family members also helped make the album a reality. His cousin, Charlie, 22, from Bristol, learnt all the songs and was on hand to step in when Samuel couldn’t play the guitar due to his Parkinson’s.
Samuel’s passion for music started at the age of 13, when his uncle (Charlie’s father), George Smith, a professional musician who gigged extensively in and around Weston-Super-Mare and Bristol in the 1970s and 1980s, taught him how to play the guitar. George features on the record, but sadly died just months after recording.
Samuel said, “I feel utterly blessed to have George on the album. It is dedicated to him. I’ve been very honest throughout this process as I know this could be my last opportunity to make a record as I don’t know how my Parkinson’s will progress. I’d like to thank all the artists on the album. What I am proudest of is that, irrespective of how moving my story is, world-class musicians don’t agree to take part in a record unless they rate the music.”
Director of fundraising and engagement for Parkinson’s UK, Paul Jackson-Clark, said, “We’re delighted to be partnering with Samuel on his new record, In the Springtime. His passion for creativity and music is truly inspiring and proves that a Parkinson’s diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to stop doing what you love. So many people discover, or in Samuel’s case, rediscover their creativity after a diagnosis and the results are always so inspiring. We’re indebted to the incredibly generous artists who are helping to raise funds for Parkinson’s research and to find a cure.”
In the Springtime is available now to download at, https://linktr.ee/samuelsmithmusic with all proceeds going to Parkinson’s UK. To find out more about Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s UK visit parkinsons.org.uk
