Fairport Convention were one of the most innovative and influential British bands of the late 1960's and are still recording and touring today. The lead singer during their greatest period was Sandy Denny who was in my opinion the greatest female vocalist of that or any era. The enormous emotional range of her voice has been unsurpassed by any other singer. Sandy died tragically in 1978 of a cerebral haemorrhage after falling down a flight of stairs.