Debra Cowan

{{Short description|Folk singer}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Debra Cowan | image = Debra cowan.jpg | caption = Cowan in 2009 | image_size = | origin = | instrument = | genre = Traditional folk music | occupation = | years_active = | label = [http://www.fallingmountain.com Falling Mountain Music] | associated_acts = | website = http://www.debracowan.com }} '''Debra Cowan''' is a folk singer based in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Go back in time; Debra Cowan preserves some pieces of musical history |first1=Charlene |last1=Arsenault |journal=Worcester Magazine |date=2005 |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=17 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.wickedlocal.com/shrewsbury/fun/entertainment/arts/x679401328/Shrewsbury-singer-has-a-Fond-Desire Shrewsbury singer has a "Fond Desire"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107222222/http://www.wickedlocal.com/shrewsbury/fun/entertainment/arts/x679401328/Shrewsbury-singer-has-a-Fond-Desire |date=2012-11-07 }} by Chris Bergeron. ''Shrewsbury Chronicle'', Sun. Feb. 15, 2009. (Retrieved from Shrewsbury Chronicle website.)</ref>

==Biography== Cowan worked as a middle school mathematics teacher until in 1997, she decided to quit and pursue her desire to sing. For six months she lived in Edinburgh, Scotland where she learned the art of unaccompanied singing.<ref name="twickfolk.co.uk">{{Cite web|url=http://www.twickfolk.co.uk/events/debra-cowan/|title = DEBRA COWAN (USA): Beautifully voiced singer|date = 31 December 2014}}</ref>

After her return to the US, in 1998, she began traveling and performing all over New England, in folk clubs or festivals like the ''Old Songs Festival'' and ''Broadstairs Folk Week''.<ref name=":0"/>

Specializing primarily in traditional songs, often maritime-themed, she tours regularly in the United Kingdom and the United States.<ref>{{cite press release |id={{ProQuest|471963586}} |title=Debra Cowan in Concert Aboard Historic Ship Balclutha |publisher=San Francisco National Historical Park |date=1 April 2007 }}</ref> Rich Warren of the Midnight Special gave her CD, ''Fond Desire Farewell'', an honorable mention in his list "Rich Warren's Past Favorites" for 2008.<ref>[http://www.midnightspecial.org/pastfaves3.htm#08 "Rich Warren's Past Favorites" on website for ''The Midnight Special'' radio show.]</ref>

==Present career== Cowan has released seven full-length recordings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Debra Cowan » Product |url=https://debracowan.com/category/product/ |access-date=2023-04-16 |language=en}}</ref> Debra has collaborated with former Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks, Brooks Williams and Bill Cooley.<ref name=":0" /> Her third recording, ''“Fond Desire Farewell”'', was produced by Mattacks.<ref name="twickfolk.co.uk"/> One of her songs, ''Who Brought the Flood'', was featured on a compilation album titled ''Still Moving Mountains: The Journey Home'', which featured various artists including a song by Kathy Mattea.<ref>{{Citation |title=Still Moving Mountains: The Journey Home |date=2009-09-22 |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/4QuBb74BUyz0SJfLdIwl1M |access-date=2023-04-16 |language=en}}</ref>

She has performed on American live radio shows such as ''WFMT’s Folkstage'', hosted by Rich Warren, WESU's "Acoustic Blender," and Tom May's River City Folk.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://debracowan.com/biography/|title = Debra Cowan » Biography}}</ref>

Debra is a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 1000 and served as its Vice President from 2011 to 2016.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Debra Cowan Biography |url=http://debracowan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Bio._9.17.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524100846/http://debracowan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Bio._9.17.pdf |archive-date=2019-05-24 |access-date=2018-01-27}}</ref>

==Personal life== As of 2017, Cowan was living in Central Massachusetts with her husband, Kevin and their two cats, Hazel and Haku.<ref name=":1" />

== Discography == Sourced from [https://debracowan.com/ debracowan.com]

=== Albums, full-length recordings ===

* ''The Long Grey Line'' (2001) * ''The Songs and Ballads of Hattie Mae Tyler Cargill'' with Acie Cargill and Susan Brown (2001) * ''Dad’s Dinner Pail and Other Songs From the Helen Hartness Flanders Collection'' (2005) * ''Fond Desire Farewell'' (2009) * ''Ballads Long & Short'' (2015) * ''Women and the Sea'' (2021)

=== EPs === * ''Greening the Dark'' (2019)

=== Live albums === * ''Among Friends'' (2012)

=== Featured on === * ''RT: The Life and Music of Richard Thompson (bonus disc)'' (2006) * ''Midwinter: The Folk Music and Traditions of Christmas and the Turning of the Year'' (2006) * ''Still Moving Mountains: The Journey Home'' (2009) * ''Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie'' (2014)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.debracowan.com Debra Cowan official website] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffjnW5ufejY YouTube video of Debra Cowan performing ''Walloping Window Blind'' at the Chicago Maritime Festival.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Debra}} Category:American women singers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:21st-century American women