Tom Lewis

Tom (Thomas John) Lewis (born 16 April 1943) is a British singer and writer of nautical songs and sea shanties, some of whose works have become "folk standards." He's been recorded by over 40 other artists including Nathan Evans and has been called one of the finest exponents of contemporary nautical songs. Biography Lewis was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1943 and grew up in Gloucester, England. At age 16 he joined the Royal Navy as an engineering apprentice. He ended up serving in the navy for 24 years. Most of his service was spent on submarines, including with the First Submarine Squadron at Gosport. In 1960, he transferred to a naval base in Scotland and began attending the Howff Folk Club in Dunfermline. At the club he was exposed to the works of folk artists such as Archie Fisher, Alex Glasgow, Ewan MacColl, Tom Paxton, and Louis Killen. Lewis was also influenced heavily by the music of Cyril Tawney. In 1980 while a chief petty officer in the navy, Lewis won a silver cup with his song "The Last Shanty" at the Services Folk Competition held at the Portsmouth Railway Inn Folk Club. After leaving the navy in 1983, Lewis and his wife Lyn immigrated to British Columbia, Canada. They lived there until 2013. He currently lives in Bournemouth, England.