ARCHIVE NO. 008 · 19th century
Joe Wilson
Songwriter and singer
Joe Wilson was born in Newcastle’s Stowell Street and became a prolific singer and songwriter, producing more than 360 songs rooted in Tyneside life and language. Keep Yor Feet Still, Geordie Hinny is among his best-known works.
He died of tuberculosis in 1875, aged only 33, and is buried in Jesmond Old Cemetery. His prolific writing in the language of his home region invites comparison with Scotland’s Rabbie Burns.