10 Artists With Incredible Gaps Between Studio Albums

Of all the entries on this list, folk singer Shirley Collins is the only one whose lengthy absence from the music scene can be attributed to illness. Born in England, in 1935, Collins was a significant figure on the native folk revival scene of the 60s and 70s. Often performing alongside her sister, Dolly, on piano, Collins met her future partner, the musicologist Alan Lomax, at a party hosted by folk great, Ewan MacColl.

Collins assisted Lomax on many projects, singing backing vocals on several recording, and released her first two solo albums in 1958; Sweet England and False True lovers. She later met and married Ashley Hutchings, a founding member of three great English folk/folk-rock groups – Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band. It was the emotional trauma arising due to the break of up this marriage which caused Collins to suffer from dysphonia, a long-term loss of voice.

Collins then found employment in a number of low-paid jobs, selling her music equipment for funds. It 1993, David Tibet, a member of the experimental folk group, Current 93, re-released a collection of Collins' recordings on his own, Durtro label. In 2014, Collins joined Current 93 for a live concert. Two years later, she released a new album, Lodestar, to critical acclaim. It had been 40 years and three months since her previous studio effort.