Though the music journalist Colin Irwin, who has died suddenly aged 71, specialised in folk music, his writing ranged across many genres, especially during the 1970s and 80s, when he worked on Melody Maker magazine. There his knowledge was renowned as encyclopedic.
Later, as a freelance, he was the most prolific features writer and reviewer for the specialist folk and roots magazine fRoots. His first contribution, when the magazine was called Southern Rag, came in 1982, and he continued writing in almost every issue until it ceased publication in 2019. The editor, Ian A Anderson, recalled: “He was a lovely man – his enthusiasm and vast knowledge continually inspired readers.”
