On July 13, 1942 Christopher John Simpson was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
Chris grew up in the Yorkshire Dales, in a 16th century stone house lit by candles where, in the words of his song Wild Horses:
“No T.V. or electric light
And the darkness fell like a Winter’s night
Silence was a friend you did not question…”
He is a true Dalesman. His influences are an eclectic mix of Steinbeck, Dickens, Buchan and Hemingway together with Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee and Chuck Berry. He has experienced a wide range of jobs, including butcher’s boy, millhand, postman, farm worker, and post-mortem assistant.
He went to London University, where he started to play the guitar. There he met Lyell Tranter, an Australian guitar player, and Glen Stuart, an actor with a five octave range. They played at Coalhole Folk Club in Cambridge in May of 1969, and that was the birth of Magna Carta.
Chris Simpson is the heart of the band, and has written most of the band’s songs.
Full details of the band’s remarkable story can be read in Chris Simpson’s own words.
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Below you can read some birthday wishes from friends and fans:
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Happy Birthday, Chris!
Still loving your music and hoping against hope that your grey cells are still conjuring up more magic songs (or poetry?) for us all to enjoy, even if it’s kept to others to record.
All the very best.
John Bennett
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A Very Happy Birthday Chris
Great memories and thanks for the music
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Just a note to wish you a happy birthday. Hope you have a great day.
Regards Bill Stanley.
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Dear Chris,
We like to congratulate you on your 84th birthday – quite an age!
We have been thinking of you a lot in the past few months. We hope that despite your illness you are still enjoying life – keep at it as long as you can!
We wish you all the best. Love,
Rob and Ineke Marx
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Dear Chris,
Happy Birthday, my long-distance friend! I am very thankful that our Lord and Savior has given you another year of life. My heart is warmed by the knowledge that Chris Simpson continues to grace this crazy world with his caring, thoughtful, artistic presence. Albeit an oft-overused term, the world truly is a better place with you in it, Chris. May Jesus Christ bless you with many more years, and, when it is your time, take you Home to be with Him.
I will pray for you, my dear friend. Walk with Jesus.
Sincerely,
Jack
818 854 0179
California
p.s. Artistically speaking: Had you done nothing before or after Seasons (a masterpiece), you would have contributed more than your share to the collection creative community within our troubled world.
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Dear Chris
Birthday greetings from a very hot and sunny Eastbourne and hope you have a wonderful 84th birthday Thank you again for making such incredible music which is still part of our lives over 56 years since we first saw you!!!
Love and best wishes
Phil and Frances Gardner
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
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Dear Chris,
Well here we are 85. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday.
Over the many years our paths have converged from time to time we never really got to know each other. From the Coal Hole in Cambridge through St Leonard’s (The White Lion), lots of wonderful albums. Then Grassington 1 and 2, the Boggery, The Stables and other Gigs that at my ripe old age I confess have slipped my memory.
The point is, you always produced very moving music and lyrics that made us feel good about life and the many aspects that affect us. Wonderful, heart felt, thought provoking Music.
I cannot put into words how much your Music has meant to me over all those years. So thank you again, I wish you peace and happiness.
Happy Birthday Chris!!
From Tony Cox
Steeple Claydon
Bucks
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Many happy returns Chris.
Have a brilliant day however you intend to celebrate it (on the barge perhaps, in this hot weather?).
Best wishes
Algy Kaz.
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Many Happy Returns, Chris.
Bill Sylvester
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Happy Birthday Chris and many more to come. Your music has played a big role in my life, thanks so much. Would love to see you perform one more time but I’m not in the UK much these days.
All the best
Ray Rawlinson
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Hi Chris,
All the best from Germany,
Reinhard.
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Hey C.J.!
Best wishes to you from across the Pond. Mrs. Pooh and I hope you have a blessed 84th Birthday.
Warm regards,
Chris (The Pooh) LaPalme
Rapid City, South Dakota, USA
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How many birthdays did you celebrate on our deck in Canada.
Loved every time you joined us at Canterbury Folk Festival.
Sherry and I wish you the best my friend.
Take care.
Love Ted Comiskey.
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Happy Birthday Chris,
I hope you are in good health. Wishes you a rememberfull day.
(Still missing you on stage)
With kind regards,
Kees van den Berg
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A very Happy 84th Birthday to you Chris!
‘Two Old Friends’ came on my iPod shuffle today – it’s always good when you come on at random like that…
All the very best
Peter Tuffs (still in York…)
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Dear Chris,
Happy 84th birthday🥳
We first met at Thom Verlinde’s house in Schiedam 47 years ago.
I was there to see Supertramp 3 days in a row, for their Breakfast in America tour.
You were at Thom’s place with a few MC bandmembers for a haircut, and some drinks.
Since I confessed I had never heard of Magna Carta, you took your guitar, and played a short acoustic set.
And the rest is history.
I kept following you and must have attended some 75 concerts over the years, and every other day or so, I still play an MC CD, or in the attic even MC lp’s.
Yesterday I visited my 87 year old mother, and she too still enjoys listening to all your beautiful creations.
Thanks a lot for all the joy you have given us over the past 5 decades, and enjoy your birthday!
Lots of love from Haarlem, Holland.
Vriendelijke groet/Kind regards,
Gert-Jan Kamer
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Chris,
I first saw you at Johnny Dankworth’s Wavendon Stables 50 years ago. There are only three people on this planet that I have known that long!! My wife, my sister and my best mate who ended up marrying one of my other sisters!
I trust that the day will go very well for you and that your health keeps you looking so good.
I tease my grandchildren that I am a dyslexic “47” year old!
I can keep the story up until I am 78 and then my plan is shot to pieces, or similar expressions! So you stay as a dyslexic 48 year old please!
Best wishes to yourself and your wife.
I play a Magna C.D. almost every day and your voice hasn’t changed a bit to me.
I can’t sing along with you without setting the neighbours dogs off.
Best wishes and thank you for the music.
Phil Cooper in sunny Devon
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHRIS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
From all those in Tring that are old enough to remember
Les Hogg
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Je te souhaite une grande fête d’anniversaire joyeuse et remplie de tendresse…. [I wish you a wonderful birthday celebration, full of joy and tenderness.]
Michel Gervais
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Dear Chris
I hope these birthday wishes will reach you in good health. Happy birthday to you and my wish for you is to have a wonderful day together with your beloved ones.
From Louise from The Netherlands (Harry’s friend)
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Dear Chris,
Congratulations reaching this new beautiful age. Again a proof that making music keeps you young.
My wife and I are only close to 75 , also playing guitar and sing although typically around a campfire or small events and regularly love to listing your LP’s and discs also of your very first years.
I think from the beginnning I automatically picked up much of your fingerpicking style which is so great to hear.
Enjoy this day.
Frans and Ivonne.
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Dear Chris,
I bought ‘Seasons’ after hearing ‘The Airport Song’ on the radio circa 1970. I have to admit I was into Simon and Garfukel and of course realised your band had a similar feel. The cover was very enticing as well.
Since then I have purchased everything you have released, but notably pretty much stopped S and G purchases after ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. There must be a message there?!
My late Wife Sue and I first saw Magna Carta in the original Stables venue before the larger theatre was built, and I recall the Dankworths were big fans as well.
The other notable time was at a venue, which I think was in North Wales somewhere, when so few tickets had been sold you set up the gig in the bar for about a dozen of us. Professionalism at its peak.
Anyway, thanks for all the music and if it means anything you deserved much greater recognition and Mr Simon is a poor second in many ways.
There are many favourites but if pushed ‘Time for the Leaving’ and ‘Wild Geese’ would certainly be up there. ‘You and I’ and ‘Love on the Spinning Wheel’ also spring to mind.
Many Happy Returns – and if my late Wife Sue was still here she would add her best wishes.
Mike Barnes
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Dear Chris,
It’s your 84th birthday, we hope you can enjoy this day and that your health is good (enough)
Of course we wish you all the best and we remember out trip in your car though the fields of Eden. It is a very memorable event for us and we think very often at it.
Also our congratulations to Cathy. We hope to see you both again but we know that could be difficult.
Love to you both
Anneke Reinke & Ed Fisscher
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Happy Birthday Chris!!!!!!!
Hope you and yours are well. Your music has kept me young over the years. I would not be the same person without you and Al Stewart. God Bless.
Paul Butterworth (pauly b) XX
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Happy birthday Chris, from all the G’s, Simon, Fiona, Daniel and Rory.
Xx
(Fiona Gilbert)
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Hi there dear Chris,
I wish you a very special 84th Birthday 🥳 on this sunny monday 13.07.2026 🌞
Hope you will see a lot of friends around you or maybe they bin already there to celebrate your 84th Birthday 🥳
Hope you are feeling well and joyful 😙 not just only this day, but many more days to become in your future life 😉☺️
Lovely greetings and a big hug from me Maryann Schothuis Hengelo Holland
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Sending lots of love from the Hoy family to dear Chris – have good one! Tom Gerry and Rory xxx
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