AN AWARD-winning American singer-songwriter will be performing in Basingstoke next month.

Diana Jones, known for her gritty, literary, Appalachian-influenced songs, will perform in The Forge on Saturday, April 29.

Her tour follows the re-issue of her lauded 2009 album Better Times Will Come – Reimagined & Remastered.  She will perform the complete album alongside gems from her catalogue.

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Adopted as an infant and raised in Long Island, NY, the fact that Diana couldn't get enough of her brother's Johnny Cash records finally made sense when she found her birth family and musical roots in the Smoky Mountains of Eastern Tennessee.

Her maternal grandfather, who had formed his first teenage band with a young Chet Atkins, was happy to pass on the culture and the music that he loved to his granddaughter.

Diana’s first album My Remembrance Of You in 2006 garnered rave reviews internationally and set her on a path which would see her release four further critically acclaimed albums: Better Times Will Come, High Atmosphere, Museum Of Appalachia Recordings and Live In Concert. Song To A Refuge (2020), Diana’s 6th solo recording, gives voice to the stories of asylum seekers worldwide; a testament to Diana’s commitment to social justice through her gifts as a consummate songwriter and performer.

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She has toured the globe, including performances at prestigious events such as Cambridge Folk Festival, Galway Arts Festival, Levon Helm’s Ramble in Woodstock, NY, and Bimhuis in Amsterdam, and shared stages with the likes of Richard Thompson, Janis Ian and Mary Gauthier. 

She has also appeared on TV and radio shows including Later With Jools Holland, BBC4 Folk America, BBC4's Songwriters Circle and BBC Radio 2 Country with Bob Harris. Diana’s progressive, yet historically rich, songs have been recorded by artists including Joan Baez and Gretchen Peters and have won her awards from Kerrville Folk Festival, New Song Festival and nominations from International Folk Alliance.

Tickets are priced at £18. For more information and to buy tickets, contact the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244 or visit anvilarts.org.uk/whats-on/event/diana-jones.