{{Short description|British singer-songwriter (1931–2016)}} {{Use British English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Karl Dallas | image = | caption = | birth_name = Karl Frederick Dallas | other_names = Fred Dallas | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1931|1|29}} | birth_place = Acton, London, England<ref name="Denselow">{{cite news|first1=Robin|last1=Denselow|title=Karl Dallas obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/27/karl-dallas-obituary|newspaper=The Guardian|date=27 June 2016}}</ref> | death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|6|21|1931|1|29|df=y}} | occupation = Journalist, musician, author, playwright, peace campaigner, record producer, broadcaster | networth = | spouse = | children = | death_place = Bradford, West Yorkshire, England | alma_mater = | website = {{URL|www.karldallas.com}} | signature = | parents = }}
'''Karl Frederick Dallas''' (29 January 1931 – 21 June 2016)<ref name=blog>[http://karldallasday.wordpress.com/ Karl Dallas blog]. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref> was a British journalist, musician, author, playwright, peace campaigner, record producer, and broadcaster. He was described as "the most vigorous, influential, and informed folk music journalist in Britain".<ref name=harper>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1N87hqo7XlcC&q=%22karl+frederick+dallas%22&pg=RA1-PA1950-IA2|title=Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival|first=Colin|last=Harper|date=2 April 2012|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=9781408831021|via=Google Books}}</ref>
==Biography==
===Early life=== Dallas was brought up in a communist household, and was named after Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2013/apr/27/weekender-karl-dallas-writer Becky Barnicoat, ''Weekender: Karl Dallas, writer, 82'', The Guardian, 27 April 2013]. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref> His father Jack Dallas was an ex Scots Guardsman and a founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). Karl lived as a child in Whitley Bay, Northumberland,<ref>[http://houstonmedia.tv/rockopedia/rockowiki.html#_Toc303666861 Karl Dallas: Autobiography at Rockopedia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120612/http://houstonmedia.tv/rockopedia/rockowiki.html#_Toc303666861 |date=26 August 2014 }}. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref> and later attended Bec School in Tooting, London.<ref name=thefourthstep>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fourth-Step-ebook/dp/B003YMMIB0|title=The Fourth Step|first=Karl|last=Dallas|date=6 August 2010|publisher=HoustonMedia|via=Amazon}}</ref> He had a half sister Kathleen and like her joined the CPGB. He started writing poetry, and writing and performing songs in London in his teens, using the name '''Fred Dallas'''.<ref name=harper/> His songs have been recorded by The Spinners (''The Family of Man'', written in 1955, after Dallas saw the exhibition of the same name<ref name="FoM">{{cite web|url=https://karldallas.bandcamp.com/track/the-family-of-man|title=The Family of Man|last=Dallas|first=Karl|work=Bandcamp|accessdate=26 September 2016}}</ref>), Ewan MacColl, June Tabor and others.<ref name=thefourthstep/> He also contributed music reviews to the ''St Marylebone Record'' and ''Musical Opinion'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lie-That-Tells-Truth-ebook/dp/B008M50LG8/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372842274&sr=1-15|title=The Lie That Tells the Truth|first=Karl|last=Dallas|via=Amazon}}</ref>
===Journalism and public relations=== In 1957 Dallas began working as a full-time reporter, later becoming a freelance writer on music – including pop, jazz, classical and folk music – and fashion.<ref name=thefourthstep/> Many of his articles were published in the ''Melody Maker''; he also wrote for ''The Times'', ''The Independent'', and many magazines. He published his own magazines, including ''Folk Music'', ''Folk News'', and ''Jazz Music News'',<ref name=rocksbackpages>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Writer/karl-dallas|title=Articles, interviews and reviews from Karl Dallas: Rock's Backpages.|website=Rocksbackpages.com}}</ref> and in 1967 wrote his first book, ''Swinging London: a guide to where the action is''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Swinging London: a guide to where the action is|first=Karl F|last=Dallas|date=20 May 1967|publisher=Stanmore P.|oclc=957623}}</ref> His other books included ''Singers of an Empty Day: last sacraments for the superstars'' (1972), ''The Cruel Wars: 100 soldiers' songs from Agincourt to Ulster'' (1972), ''One Hundred Songs of Toil: 450 Years of Workers' Songs'' (1974) and ''The Electric Muse: The Story of Folk into Rock'' (with Dave Laing, Robin Denselow and Robert Shelton, 1975). For a time he ran his own public relations agency, with clients including Pan Books, Topic Records, and Billy Smart's Circus. He worked as a record producer for the Transatlantic, Island and Sonet labels, and as a concert promoter.<ref name=thefourthstep/> From the late 1970s he also wrote on information technology, and contributed articles to most British computer magazines.<ref name=jd/>
===Later life=== He was a lifelong atheist until converting to Anglican Christianity in 1983.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230307105720/https://www.amazon.com/Good-News-Last-Times-Dallas-ebook/dp/B003Z9K3T6#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1515902880181]</ref> <ref name=guardian/><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/27/karl-dallas-obituary|title=Karl Dallas obituary|date=27 June 2016|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> He moved with his wife to live in Bradford in 1989,<ref name=thefourthstep/> and retired from full-time journalism in 1999.<ref name=bradford/> He became chairman of Bradford Community Health Council,<ref name=bradford/> and, in 2003, travelled to Iraq in a double-decker bus as part of the group of campaigners intending to act as human shields in the event of invasion.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2689691.stm BBC News, ''Pensioner's 'human shield' offer'', 24 January 2003]. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref><ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2770767.stm BBC News, ''Pensioner to become Iraq human shield'', 17 February 2003]. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref> Following his return, he wrote ''Into the War Zone'', which he described as a "musical tragicomedy" satirising his experiences as a human shield in Iraq. The play was performed by the Writers Company in Bradford in 2005.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/stage/2005/07/dallas_war_zone.shtml BBC Bradford and West Yorkshire, ''Karl Dallas: "We must love one another"'', August 2005]. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref>
He wrote several other plays, including a seven-hour play on the life of Stalin,<ref name=thefourthstep/> as well as several books, including ''The Fourth Step'', described as "a thriller of the international drugs trade",<ref name=thefourthstep/> and ''Good News for the Last Times'' (2010), a "prophetic vision for the 21st century" based on his religious experiences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-News-Last-Times-ebook/dp/B003Z9K3T6/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372841112&sr=1-5|title=Good News for the Last Times|editor-first=Karl|editor-last=Dallas|date=10 August 2010|publisher=October Press|via=Amazon}}</ref> A book of his critical writings, ''The Lie That Tells The Truth'', was published in 2012.<ref>[http://realitynow2012.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/the-lie-that-tells-the-truth-contents/ ''The Lie That Tells The Truth'' at ''Reality Now!'']. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref> In later life he continued to broadcast regularly for Bradford Community Broadcasting, and reviewed books, music and films for the ''Morning Star'' daily newspaper.<ref name=jd>[http://www.journalistdirectory.com/journalist/QXm/Karl-Dallas Karl Dallas at Journalist Directory Freelance Database]. Retrieved 2 July 2013</ref>
== Death and legacy ==
He died at the age of 85 on 21 June 2016, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer four months earlier.<ref name=bradford>[http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/14573719.Bradford_justice_campaigner_Karl_Dallas_dies_aged_85_fighting_a_final_battle_against_cancer/?ref=rss Kathie Griffiths, "Bradford justice and peace campaigner Karl Dallas dies after fighting a final battle with cancer", ''Telegraph & Argus'', 22 June 2016]. Retrieved 22 June 2016</ref> His funeral was held in the parish church of St Paul in Manningham, Bradford on 30 June.<ref name="MSFuneral">{{cite news|url=https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-863b-Friends-and-family-remember-activist-musician-and-poet-Karl-Dallas|title=Friends and family remember activist musician and poet Karl Dallas|date=1 July 2016|work=Morning Star|accessdate=26 September 2016|archive-date=30 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630235521/https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-863b-Friends-and-family-remember-activist-musician-and-poet-Karl-Dallas|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was then buried at a woodland site in the city.<ref name="MSFuneral" />
Obituaries were published by ''The Guardian''<ref name="Denselow"/> and the ''Morning Star'',<ref name="MSobit">{{cite web|url=https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-152b-Karl-Dallas|title=Karl Dallas|date=30 June 2016|work=Morning Star|accessdate=26 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630192044/http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-152b-Karl-Dallas|archive-date=30 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> the latter including a fond reminiscence from Arlo Guthrie.<ref name="MSobit" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.karldallas.com/ Karl Dallas homepage] *[http://karldallasday.wordpress.com/ Karl Dallas blog page] *[https://archive.today/20130702225710/http://karldallas.com/rockopedia/ Karl Dallas Rockopedia] *[https://karldallas.bandcamp.com/ Karl Dallas] at Bandcamp *[http://kdarchive.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/1995-the-dave-gilmour-interview/ The Karl Dallas Archive of Contemporary and Popular Music] *[http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Writer/karl-dallas Karl Dallas at ''Rock's Back Pages'']
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dallas, Karl}} Category:1931 births Category:2016 deaths Category:British former atheists and agnostics Category:English activists Category:English anti-war activists Category:English male journalists Category:English writers about music Category:English folk musicians Category:English male singer-songwriters Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English anti–Iraq War activists Category:Converts to Anglicanism from atheism or agnosticism