David Joseph Cousins (born David Joseph Hindson, January 7, 1940 – July 13, 2025) was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader, best known as the founder and frontman of the folk-rock band Strawbs. Born in Camberwell, London, he was the only child of Joseph Hindson, who died in World War II, and Violet Luck. His mother remarried when he was six, and he took his stepfather’s surname, Cousins. Raised in Chiswick, Middlesex, he later returned there in the 1970s, rehearsing at the Mawson Arms pub. Cousins co-founded Strawbs in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys, initially playing bluegrass while studying at St Mary’s Teacher Training College in Twickenham. The band evolved into Strawbs in 1967, transitioning from bluegrass to folk, folk-rock, and progressive rock. As the band’s leader, Cousins was its primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, known for his distinctive voice, unconventional guitar tunings, and lyrical themes inspired by medieval history, spirituality, and personal reflection. Notable Strawbs albums include Strawbs (1969), From the Witchwood (1971), Bursting at the Seams (1973), and The Magic of It All (2023). Their 1973 hit “Part of the Union,” while commercially successful, was atypical of their sound and caused internal band tensions. Beyond Strawbs, Cousins performed as an acoustic duo with guitarist Brian Willoughby and later with Acoustic Strawbs, featuring Willoughby, Dave Lambert, and Chas Cronk, touring North America and Europe. He released a solo album, Two Weeks Last Summer (1972), featuring guest musicians like Roger Glover and Rick Wakeman. Other solo and collaborative works include Old School Songs (1979), Hummingbird (2002) with Rick Wakeman, and Moving Pictures (2015). In 2014, he published his autobiography, Exorcising Ghosts: Strawbs and Other Lives. Cousins held a degree in Statistics and Pure Mathematics from the University of Leicester, where he was active in jazz and folk societies. He also pursued a radio career, serving as a producer for Denmark’s Radio (1969–1979), programme controller for Radio Tees (1980–1982), and managing director of Devon Air (1982–1990). He ran Witchwood Media Limited, an independent record and publishing company, until its catalogue was sold to Cherry Red Limited. In 2012, he co-founded Dark Lord Records with producer Chris Tsangarides. He was a trustee of the Commonwealth Medical Trust, supporting water tank projects in Africa, and performed a charity gig in 2022 for this cause. Cousins was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by the University of Leicester in 2023. His final performance with Strawbs was at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention on August 11, 2023. Cousins was married three times, with his third wife, Geraldine, accompanying him in his later years. They moved to Deal, Kent, in 2003 for proximity to his house in France and later settled in Sandgate, near Folkestone. He faced health challenges, including cancer surgery, stent replacements, and a knee replacement. Cousins died at Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury, Kent, on July 13, 2025, at age 85.
