“Long-tall singer-songwriter and guitarist Jenny Bishop has had the wonderful opportunities to open for great musicians such as Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention), Ralph McTell, Midge Ure (Ultravox, Band Aid), Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) and Los Pacaminos.
Jenny has also performed on the main stage to delighted audiences at Trowbridge Folk Festival and her set, which was brimming with emotional intensity at this years newly resurrected Bristol Folk Festival in Colston Hall, won her much praise.”
Music was a big deal in both my Mum’s and my Dad’s homes and I grew up with an eclectic mix of sounds, although, artists such as Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), Genesis, Dire Straits, Led Zeppelin, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, The Waterboys, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel, Peter Gabriel and Tracy Chapman (to name but a few!) were prevalent in both households; so it’s no mystery where my song writing influence came from.
The guitar influence was most certainly from my Step-Father. I would sit on his lap when very young and be transfixed as he strummed his new found passion. When he passed away, I think that passion was passed to me along with his guitar.
Mum moved us all from Northamptonshire to North Devon a few years after his death for a new start and when the time came for me needing a way to vent my teenage frustrations, it felt natural to just bang out the angst through a song. It worked too. Alone and safe in my bedroom I could write, sing and play to my hearts content and release my emotions. I taught myself to play with the aid of my first ever cd (Rage Against The Machine) and complementing guitar book. This I found particularly challenging on a wide necked, nylon strung guitar (Barre chords were tricky!) and so I moved on to ‘Definitely Maybe’ by Oasis. This is surely where my style of open chords was born from.
As a teenager I was heavily influenced musically by Imogen Heap, Ben Harper, Del Amitri, Counting Crows, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Sade, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Then, once I was introduced to on-line tab archives by a friend at College (the same friend who hitch-hiked with me to Exeter to buy my first, very own, proper guitar!) I was well away. Playing songs that meant something to me and writing my own songs very quickly became all wanted to do.
I studied Photography at East Devon College and went onto Plymouth College of Art & Design to continue with Photography but I quickly dropped out and joined in on a Performing Arts course at my local North Devon College. Again, I wasn’t here for particularly long, but the people I met and the skills I gained were invaluable to me. It just added more fuel to the musical fire in my belly.
Since then, life has been divided into pursuing a music career and having children; with the latter being the one that I obviously had to give the most of my attention to. I have been rewarded with three delightful children who I adore and inspire me greatly.
So, here I am now, living in beautiful West Cornwall where I have been for the last 7 years with my growing family and my passion still remains; to touch people’s hearts and souls with my music.
I’m currently gigging mainly in the South West but hope to come and play much further afield… so keep an eye on my live dates page if you’re hoping to catch a show near you.
Love,
Jenny
xx