Simon Emmerson
Simon Emmerson (12 March 1956 – 13 March 2023) was an English musician and record producer. He played in the bands Working Week, Weekend, and founded Afro Celt Sound System.
Also recorded as Simon Booth
Simon Emmerson
Mark A Bennett (photographer) · Mark A Bennett [Photographer] @ c · CC BY 3.0
- Name
- Simon Emmerson
- Born
- 12 March 1956
- Birthplace
- London, England
- Died
- 13 March 2023
- Occupation
- *Musician
- Nationality
- United Kingdom.
- Fields
- world and soul jazz.
- Education
- Ibstock Place School, University of Lancaster and Wandsworth School.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Simon Emmerson (12 March 1956 – 13 March 2023) was an English musician and record producer. He played in the bands Working Week, Weekend, and founded Afro Celt Sound System.
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Note VALÉORINE
Simon Emmerson (1956–2023) was a British composer, disc jockey and guitarist, among other activities. The composer was born in London. Simon Emmerson was also known as Simon Booth.
Simon Emmerson studied at Ibstock Place School, University of Lancaster and Wandsworth School. The composer was a member of Afro Celt Sound System, Scritti Politti and Weekend, among others and lived in Broadwindsor.
Genres include soul jazz and world. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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wikidata · Q7518697 · wikipedia · Simon Emmerson
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Simon Emmerson • Alias — Simon Booth • Born — 12 March 1956 • Birthplace — London, England • Died — 13 March 2023 • Instrument — *guitar • Irish bouzouki • cittern • turntable • Genre — *world music • Soul jazz • Occupation — *Musician • DJ • producer • Years Active — 1978–2023 • Past Member Of — Weekend Working Week Afro Celt Sound System
Early life and education
Early life and education
Simon was born in London, the son of Alan Emmerson, an architect who had also worked as manager for the rock band Screw, and his wife, Mercia (née Samson), a sociology lecturer. He attended Ibstock Place School and then Wandsworth School. He attended Forest School Camps, in which his father was heavily involved, and there he developed his love of folk song, nature and bird watching.
Weekend
Weekend
Emmerson played in Weekend in 1981 with Alison Statton, under the pseudonym Simon Booth. Around this time he also played guitar on Everything but the Girl's debut album Eden.
Working Week
Working Week
• Illustration — Simon Booth in Working Week, 1985 Emmerson played in Working Week with saxophone player Larry Stabbins in 1983. The band would release five albums before disbanding in 1991. Emmerson began to work as a producer around this time, earning credits on an album by Manu Dibango.
Afro Celt Sound System
Afro Celt Sound System
Emmerson formed the Afro Celt Sound System following a session at Real World Studios in 1995. In the same year Emmerson was nominated for a Grammy for his production work on Baaba Maal's album Firin' in Fouta. Among other things, he collaborated on the OVO soundtrack by Peter Gabriel for the Millennium Dome Show of 2000.
The Imagined Village
The Imagined Village
Emmerson was also the main organiser of The Imagined Village, a collaborative work from many roots artists. Emmerson also played on this album.
Musical Director at Lush
Musical Director at Lush
Emmerson joined Lush Cosmetics as musical director in 2008, composing soundtracks to some of their spa experiences. He formed a record company Emmerson Corncrake and Constantine with its founder, Mark Constantine.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Emmerson was a keen bird watcher and a druid. He lived in Broadwindsor. Emmerson died on 13 March 2023, at the age of 67.
Afro Celt Sound System
Afro Celt Sound System
• See Afro Celt Sound System
Production credits
Production credits
• Firin' in Fouta - Baaba Maal (1994) • Witness - Show of Hands (2006) • The Imagined Village - Various (Real World Records 2007)
Obituary by Peter Gabriel
Obituary by Peter Gabriel
*
Afro Celt Sound System, Barbican, London, England, October 2016
Ardfern
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Broadwindsor.
Residences
London.
Birth place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Denselow, Robin. Simon Emmerson obituary. The Guardian. 23 March 2023.
- 2.. Retrieved on 2008-08-06
- 3.. Retrieved on 2008-08-06
- 4.LinkedIn. Simon Emmerson.
- 5.BBC: 'Why do birds sing'
- 6.Simon Emmerson | Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids.
- 7.Simon Emmerson.
- 8.Folk Radio. Simon Emmerson (12 March 1956 – 13 March 2023). 15 March 2023.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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