Jackson C. Frank

Jackson C. Frank was a folk singer from New York who recorded one self-titled album in London in 1965. That record included 'Blues Run the Game,' a song that would become his best-known work. He wrote spare, acoustic songs like 'Marcy's Song' and 'You Never Wanted Me' that felt more like private thoughts than performances.

He spent time in London's folk scene in the mid-1960s, where he crossed paths with other musicians like Sandy Denny and Al Stewart. His music was quiet and direct, built around his guitar and a voice that carried a certain weariness. Songs like 'My Name Is Carnival' and 'Tumble In The Wind' had a plainspoken quality that made them feel like they were being sung in a room rather than on a stage.

Frank struggled with mental health and substance abuse, which made it difficult for him to maintain a career. He died by suicide in 1983. His small catalog, particularly that first album, has been kept alive by other artists who have covered his songs over the decades.