Danny,
I am so happy that I discovered the website dedicated to Derroll.
I first met Derroll in Brussels in 1964. I really don’t remember the exact circumstances, but he was living with a young girl and I think there were babies around.
They were doing window dressings for department stores.
I was busking, singing in bars, restaurants, and Pol’s nightclub, with a Canadian guitarist.
Several months later I was in London, I read about a concert featuring Derroll. I met up with him. Her remembered me and treated me like a long lost friend.
We struck up a fast friendship. Derroll was palling around with Donovan. I accompanied Derroll to his concerts and we would meet up with Donovan and his crew afterwards.
It was and exciting and scary time for a 19 year old lad from Cincinnati. Scary because if you were seen with Donovan, by the throngs of young school girls, you would be mobbed and clothes would be ripped.
I remember Derroll as and extremely kind and mellow soul as well as a great banjo man.
He told me many stories about Jack Elliott, Odetta, and many others.
We spent only a short time together before I returned to the U.S.
Until now I could find only a small amount of information on him.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Sincerely,

To the best of my knowledge I never met or even heard of Derroll Adams until today. I was listening to Joan Baez’ version of Portland Town, a song I’ve treasured since 1959, and decided to find out for the first time where the song came from. Which led me directly to Derroll’s web site.
I also grew up in Portland Town. My family had a strong interest in folk music, but were not performers, so I wasn’t around much live music until my college days. In 1958-59 I fell in with a group of Portland folk musicians, including Mike Russo, Ron Brentano, and Mel Lyman (who taught me Portland Town and started me on the 5-string banjo).
I left Portland in 1961, but I’ve sung and played the song for 54 years now, and I’m very happy to have found a new source of music so close to what was once my home.

Madame,
Je viens de regarder pour la premiere fois le très beau film sur Derroll fait par Patrick Ferryn et il m’a beaucoup ému. Comme beaucoup de gens j’ai été très touché par Derroll et sa musique, c’est un héritage qu’on porte avec soi avec une grande gratitude. Je ne suis pas musicien, je n’appartiens à aucun cercle, j’ai seulement organisé une fois un concert à Courtrai pour les étudiants je crois en 1978 et j’ai fait un petit article dans une revue. Aussi à travers Hugo Valcke qui est le manager de Willem Vermandere.
Je suis très heureux que vous mainteniez le site de Derroll, c’est très important que son héritage ne soit pas perdu.
J’ai pu mettre les enregistrements sur vinyl sur CD mais je m’imagine que vous les avez également et depuis longtemps. Si jamais cela peut vous être utile je peux vous les faire parvenir la prochaine fois que je serai en Belgique (je travaille à Kinshasa).
Seulement, ce que je n’ai pas est l’enregistrement du disque “Portland town” (de 1968 ?). Puis je vous demander si on peut le trouver quelque part sur CD svp ? Hugo en a un exemplaire mais je n’ai jamais réussi à le mettre sur CD. Ce serait formidable bien sûr...
Les chansons de Derroll restent avec nous, gravés dans nos coeurs, avec leur leçon éternelle d’amour et de sensibilité.
Merci beaucoup ! !

Just stumbled on your marvellous site with all things Derroll. First met Derroll in 68 in the cafe Welcome. He was so kind and helpful to this young English flatpicker meeting his first and only hero... and you know... he never let me down.
Now I’ve found all things about Derroll I will be back and back again,
Very Best

Dear Danny
I have just visited Derroll’s website and I am blown away. What a lot of work has gone into creating a beautiful and impressive site - there is so much information and so much I didn’t know about Derroll’s life. Well done you. And all the photographs too.
Much love, as aye,

I will always remember Derroll as a Friend of Many Friends! I will also remember his concerts at Jeugd- en Cultuurcentreum Tsleutelgat in Haren-Brussels. At one of these concerts, in 1975, Geert Currinckx took a few beautiful photos of Derroll: one of these has been used on the cover of an elpee.
I will, of course, also remember his presence at Brosella Folk & Jazz! He was there from the start of the festival: at the first edition, in 1977, he was on the stage in the Groentheater/Théâtre de Verdure, the same day as Wannes Van de Velde, Les Coulonneux, De Snaar - next day we had Didier (the brother of another important Friend, Antoine Courtmans), Dirk Van Esbroeck & Juan Masondo, Pierre Bensusan (first gig in Belgium), John Renbourn & Jacqui McShee, 5-Hand Reel (with Dick Gaughan).
In 1994 he was part of the Brosella Project E.W.B., with other great musicians: Jan Hautekiet, Patrick Riguelle, Roland (Van Campenhout), Bart De Nolf, Cesar Janssens, Wigbert Van Lierde, B.J. Scott, Jan De Smet, Pieterjan Smet, Philippe de Chaffoy de Courcelles.
In 2001, one year after he left us for ever, Brosella created The Derroll Adams’ Tribute Big Band, not with big names from all over the world, but with “Belgian” Friends: Jan Hautekiet, Patrick Riguelle, Cesar Janssens, Jef Van Gool, Didier Courtmans, B.J.Scott, Guy Stroobant, Gérard De Smaele, Tucker Zimmerman.
In 2010, Wiet Van de Leest proposed to Brosella, Gentse Feesten and Dranouter to present the project “Derroll’s Dream”. It was announced like this:
Derroll Adams, an American singer-songwriter and folk artist, spent half of his life in Belgium, neatly divided between Brussels and Antwerp. He was a beautiful man and a friend of the Vrienden Van Brosella - Amis de Brosella (Friends of Brosella), but also very good mates with quite a few musicians. One of them, Wiet Van de Leest, told us that Derroll dreamed about performing one day with plenty of violins and female vocals. Usually, he was on stage on his own, with just the five-string banjo and his deep velvet voice. Wiet took the challenge to fulfil Derroll’s dream. Brosella created in 2001 (with huge success) a project “The Derroll Adams Tribute Big Band” to honour this legendary folk hero. And now three festivals are joining forces to make Derroll’s dream come true and to honour the tenth anniversary of his passing.
Patrick Ferryn made in 2005 a documentary of 85 minutes about the artist, called “I Was Born In Portland Town”. Copies of this documentary will be for sale during the festival.
But, most of all, I will remember the warm meetings we had - too few of them! - at his home in Antwerp!!
Love You, Derroll!!!

Agé de 61 ans, je suis fan de Derroll depuis que je l’ai découvert par hasard en première d’un gig de “Jofroi & les Coulonneux” dans une église, à Loverval (Belgique) en 1972 ou 1973. J’ignorais tout du banjo à l’époque et j’en suis tombé amoureux, j’ai acheté un Framus et je m’y suis mis, avec le livre rouge de Pete Seeger, comme des milliers d’autres… Autant d’années après, j’éprouve toujours le même plaisir à en jouer… et à écouter tout ce que je peux de Derroll. Amicalement,

Ma chère Danny,
Quel beau moyen que ce site pour m’exprimer et dire à Derroll qu’il est avec moi tous les jours, ce grand frère si sensible et talentueux, avec ses mélodies qui me font regarder loin devant, dans le vague...
Des mélodies toutes plus belles les unes que les autres, et une voix qui m’embrument les yeux et qui me donnent à chaque écoute la chair de poule ! ! !
Des moments savoureux que je consomme chaque jour de ma vie et que je fais partager à mes enfants qui commencent à ne plus pouvoir s’en passer, aussi ! ! ! Comment ne pas être sensible à ces merveilles ?
Des heures à t’écouter, Derroll, et essayer de jouer cette musique avec mon banjo, cette musique qui paraît si simple, juste pour me rapprocher encore plus près de toi. Mais elle est dure ta technique ! ! !
Parfois je m’en approche, alors c’est bon !

Love !

I am very happy to share this website with you all and would like to thank you for your kind visit.