One night in 1966, Michael Chapman rushed into a folk-music club in Cornwall, England to get out of the rain, and soon found himself onstage playing the guitar.
“They offered me a job to play for the rest of the summer. And I’ve been playing ever since,” Chapman says. “I’ve told that story so many times, but it’s absolutely true. If it hadn’t been raining that night, I wouldn’t be talking to you.”
The British guitar player has spent the 50 years since then on the road. He released some praised albums in the 1970s, but his health went downhill in the 80s and 90s. Like a lot of British artists in the 1960s, Chapman taught himself to play the guitar by listening to American jazz and blues records.
Chapman actually taught photography, but quit when he was 26 to play music full time. When he was starting out, he was often compared to other British acoustic (原声的) guitar heroes of the time, like John Martyn and Bert Jansch.
“The fascinating thing about Michael Chapman is that he doesn’t fit in with those guys of his generation,” says Andrew Male, a music journalist. “He’s always- been an outsider. He never moved to London.”
And while he never became part of the London music scene, Chapman was noticed by those musicians. “The 70s caught up with him in the 80s,” Male says. “He had a huge heart attack at the end of the 80s that nearly finished him off. When he made his way back into the world in the early 90s, people had forgotten about him.”
But not everyone. A younger generation of musicians in America, including Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and a younger singer and guitarist named Steve Gumi, recently rediscovered Chapman.
“We wanted to capture Michael’s voice and character where he is now. You know, it’s a little road-weary, but he still has it,” Gunn says. “For me, it was really important to get that right,” “He’s the right old musician for present times,” Male says. “I think the music he makes seems quite in tune with where we’re at.”
8. What word can best describe Michael Chapman’s first involvement in music?
A.Untrue. | B.Accidental. |
C.Unfortunate. | D.Reasonable. |
9. What can we learn about the British guitarist John Martyn from the text?
A.He used to teach photography full time. |
B.He cannot get along well with other musicians. |
C.He may be very familiar with American jazz and blues. |
D.He may be one of the best guitar players in the early 90s. |
10. Why did Michael Chapman quit his music career once?
A.He lost his special voice. |
B.He suffered from a severe heart attack. |
C.He got tired of competing with others. |
D.He was almost forgotten by everyone. |
11. What can be the best title for the text?
A.The Rise and Fall of Guitar Music |
B.The Sad Story of a Guitar Musician |
C.A New Generation Helps an Old Guitar Musician |
D.A Guitar Musician’s Back with the Help of a New Generation |