"Anji" Guitarist Davy Graham Dead at 68

Folk guitarist Davy Graham, a major influence on artists like Led Zeppelin and Simon & Garfunkel, passed away on December 15th at the age of 68. According to Graham's manager, the fingerstyle guitar great was diagnosed with lung cancer only a few weeks ago and suffered a seizure. With his 1962 debut EP 3/4 AD, Graham introduced his most famous composition, the instrumental "Anji," a song that was later covered by Simon & Garfunkel for their Sounds of Silence album. Graham's "She Moved Thru the Fair" also reportedly heavily influenced Jimmy Page on the Yardbirds' (and later Led Zeppelin's) "White Summer," even though Graham didn't receive a song credit. A private service for Graham will be held this week, with a public memorial planned for January.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

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