Oliver Knight

Oliver Knight was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Son to George and Elaine Knight (Lal Waterson) with one sister Maria Knight (Marry Waterson), he and his family lived in Park Avenue, Hull until 1976 and then moved to St. Ives Farm, Robin Hood's Bay.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|pages=419/20}}

He attended Bricknall Ave in Hull, then Fylingthorpe C of E, Eskdale and then Whitby. Knight then went to Scarborough Technical College to study Art & Design for one year.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

After buying a four-track machine, Knight started experimenting with recording music, leaving home temporarily and playing in various blues and rock cover bands, but moving back to his parents' house in 1993. His mother had been asked to provide a track for a sampler CD for the musicians' co-op No Masters, to highlight the songwriting talent they had in their organisation. "Mum and I had played songs together in the past and we were always saying to each other, "What do you think to this track or that", but it wasn't until she asked me to play guitar for her on Midnight Feast that we clicked."{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} Knight developed a writing partnership with his mother and eventually they collaboratively recorded the studio album Once in a Blue Moon released in 1996 to much acclaim, with a vinyl reissue in 2009. Lal Waterson died in 1998, just before their second album, A Bed Of Roses, was finished. The material was fully recorded already, and it was released posthumously.

In 1994, Knight decided to branch out as a live sound engineer and his first job was with a band called The Whisky Priests.{{cite web |url=http://garymillersongs.com/whisky.php |title=Gary Miller |website=Garymillersongs.com |date= |accessdate=4 November 2016 |archive-date=11 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611061334/http://www.garymillersongs.com/whisky.php |url-status=dead }}

The song "Midnight Feast" was recorded at a studio in North Dalton called Panda Sound (P.A. North Dalton Associates), owned and run by Ray Williams. Knight was instantly taken by the recording process and becoming a sound engineer, and although still working as a gardener, whenever Williams had a session in he would invite Knight to help him and teach him all he could.

Around 1995, Ray Williams decided to sell the studio to Oliver. Relocating the studio to Robin Hood's Bay, Knight soon gained a good reputation for studio work and live sound, working in other studios and touring in America, Canada and Europe. In 1996, Knight left his gardening job and became a full-time self-employed sound engineer. Over the course of working at Panda Sound, Knight has recorded over 120 albums. Knight tour-managed and was live sound engineer for Kate & Anna McGarrigle.

In 2002, Knight released his solo album Mysterious Day with various guest vocalists.{{cite web |last1=MacNeil |first1=Jason |title=Oliver Knight Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/oliver-knight-mn0000889338#biography |website=Allmusic |access-date=25 May 2025}}

In 2006, he was involved with the band Van Eyken. He recorded and co-produced their album Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves, from which the track "Barleycorn" won Best Traditional Track in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2007.

In 2007, The Waterson Family were asked to create a show to be performed at The Royal Albert Hall and later that year Knight, along with James Yorkston, coordinated the show A Tribute To Lal Waterson for the BBC Electric Proms.

These two shows marked the start of Waterson-Knight working together, leading to their album The Days That Shaped Me in 2011. Their second album Hidden was released in September 2012.

Knight is married to Helen, with a child Mae. Knight and his family moved out of Robin Hood's Bay and now live in the neighbouring village of Fylingthorpe.

In 2008, Knight decided to take a break from live sound and tour managing, took a condensed course and became an electrician. "My dad has been an electrician for 25 years so we now work together and I fit the music side of things in between.”

• Once in a Blue Moon (1996) (with Lal Waterson)Reviews of Once in a Blue Moon:
• {{cite web |last1=Nickson |first1=Chris |title=Once in a Blue Moon Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/once-in-a-blue-moon-mw0000080107#review |website=Allmusic |access-date=25 May 2025}}
• {{cite news |last1=Shirley |first1=Ian |title=Once In A Blue Moon - Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/once-in-a-blue-moon |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=Record Collector |date=6 December 2009}}
• A Bed of Roses (1998) (with Lal Waterson){{cite news |last1=Spencer |first1=Neil |title=Music: Pop releases: Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight, A Bed of Roses |id={{Gale|A75984029}} |work=The Observer |date=2 May 1999}}
• Mysterious Day (2002)Reviews of Mysterious Day:
• {{cite web |last1=Nickson |first1=Chris |title=Mysterious Day Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mysterious-day-mw0000222821#review |website=Allmusic |access-date=25 May 2025}}
• {{cite news |last1=Lankford, Jr. |first1=Ronald |title=Oliver Knight Mysterious Day. |id={{Gale|A95357732}} |work=Sing Out! |volume=46 |issue=4 |date=2003}}
• The Days That Shaped Me (2011) (with Marry Waterson)Reviews of The Days That Shaped Me:
• {{cite web |last1=Offen |first1=Daniel |title=Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight – The Days That Shaped Me |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/marry-waterson-oliver-knight-the-days-that-shaped-me |website=music OMH |access-date=27 May 2025 |date=28 March 2011}}
• {{cite news |last1=Coleham |first1=Nick |title=Album: Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight, The Days that Shaped Me (One Little Indian) |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-marry-waterson-oliver-knight-the-days-that-shaped-me-one-little-indian-2254531.html |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=The Independent |date=27 March 2011}}
• {{cite web |last1=Ruhlmann |first1=William |title=The Days That Shaped Me Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-days-that-shaped-me-mw0002132237#review |website=Allmusic |access-date=27 May 2025}}
• {{cite news |last1=Spencer |first1=Neil |title=Marry Waterson and Oliver Knight: The Days That Shaped Me – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/mar/20/marry-waterson-oliver-knight-review |access-date=25 May 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=20 March 2011}}
• {{cite news |last1=Palmer |first1=Peter |title=THE DAYS THAT SHAPED ME. |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=66844244&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=25 May 2025 |work=Maverick |date=April 2011}}
• Hidden (2012) (with Marry Waterson)Reviews of Hidden:
• {{cite news |last1=Denselow |first1=Robin |title=Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight: Hidden – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/20/marry-waterson-oliver-knight-review |access-date=25 May 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=20 September 2012}}
• {{cite web |last1=Jurek |first1=Thom |title=Hidden Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/hidden-mw0002406732#review |website=Allmusic |access-date=27 May 2025}}
• {{cite news |last1=Bruce |first1=Keith |title=CD review: Marry Waterson and Oliver Knight Hidden (One Little Indian) |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/13074509.cd-review-marry-waterson-oliver-knight-hidden-one-little-indian/ |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=The Herald (Glasgow) |date=26 September 2012}}

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Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:British male singer-songwriters

Category:Musicians from Kingston upon Hull

Category:People from the Borough of Scarborough