Formed in England in 1969,Trader Horne was a short-lived folk duo consisting of Northern Irish multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jackie McAuley (Them/The Kult/The Belfast Gypsies) and British vocalist Judy Dyble (Fairport Convention/Giles, Giles and Fripp). Initially a trio featuring McAuley’s flatmate Pete Sears (Steamhammer/Sam Gopal Dream/Jade), Dyble and McAuley chose to continue as Trader Horne once Sears headed to the U.S. to pursue other ventures. Encouraged by Steamhammer’s manager, Trader Horne began playing small venues and were discovered by Barry Murray, a producer for Pye Records’ subsidiary label Dawn. The band then began to tour, spending a lot of time on the road, supporting bands like Genesis, Yes, and Humble Pie. They also appeared on various local TV shows in between live gigs. The duo then recorded their debut album, Morning Way, with musical assistance from John Godfrey (bass), Andy White (drums), and Ray Elliot (flute/clarinet). Trader Horne released the single “Sheena” in 1969, followed by Morning Way in 1970. A second single, “Here Comes the Rain”, was released shortly after the album. In May 1970, shortly before a live festival to launch the album, Dyble left the band. For a brief time, McAuley continued as Trader Horne with new vocalist Saffron Summerfield but he eventually split up the duo and continued as a solo artist. On November 29, 2015, McAuley and Dyble reunited for a one-off show to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Morning Way. They also played a show at the 2016 Green Man Festival. After that show, the duo went their separate ways again. Judy Dyble died of lung cancer on July 12, 2020. She was 71.
