Michael Eavis: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|English farmer, Glastonbury Festival co-creator (born 1935)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}

|honorific_prefix = [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]]

| name = Michael Eavis

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}

| image = Michael Eavis 04 - Glastonbury Festival 2019 crop.jpg

| caption = Eavis in 2019

| birth_name = Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1935|10|17}}

| birth_place = [[Pilton, Somerset]], England, UK

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = {{Flatlist|

* Farmer

* businessman

| known_for = Co-creator of [[Glastonbury Festival]]

| spouse =

| parents =

| children = 5, including [[Emily Eavis]]

}}

'''Sir Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}<ref name="londgazette">{{London Gazette |issue=58358 |date=16 June 2007 |supp=y |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Alex |date=19 June 2022 |title=Michael and Emily Eavis: The father-daughter driving force behind Glastonbury |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/michael-emily-eavis-father-daughter-230100410.html |access-date=25 June 2023 |website=[[Yahoo News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> (born 17 October 1935) is an English dairy farmer and the co-creator of the [[Glastonbury Festival]], which takes place at his farm in [[Pilton, Somerset]].

Eavis was born in [[Pilton, Somerset]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bandcstaffregister.co.uk/page3334.html |title=Michael Eavis |access-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210181714/http://www.bandcstaffregister.co.uk/page3334.html |archive-date=10 December 2015}}</ref> on 17 October 1935,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Eavis News {{!}} Photos {{!}} Quotes {{!}} Video {{!}} Wiki - UPI.com |url=https://www.upi.com/topic/Michael_Eavis/ |access-date=25 June 2023 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> and grew up at Worthy Farm in the village. His father was a [[Methodist]] [[local preacher]], and his mother a school teacher. Eavis was educated at [[Wells Cathedral School]], followed by the [[Thames Nautical Training College]] in [[Greenhithe, Kent]], after which he joined the [[Union-Castle Line]], part of the [[British Merchant Navy]], as a trainee [[midshipman]]. His plan was to spend twenty years at sea, and return with a pension to help subsidise the income from the family farm.

Eavis and his first wife Ruth had three children, (Juliet, Rebecca and Jane) but divorced in 1964.<ref name="auto" /> He next married Jean Hayball, with whom he had a son Patrick and a daughter [[Emily Eavis|Emily]]. Jean died of cancer in 1999, and Eavis has since married his third wife, Liz.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=David |title=Far-out man |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/jun/19/popandrock.glastonbury2005 |access-date=16 July 2018 |work=The Guardian|date=19 June 2005}}</ref> In common with his parents and second wife, Eavis remains a practising Methodist,<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGrath |first1=Nick |title=Michael Eavis: My family values |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/07/michael-eavis-glastonbury-festival-family-values |access-date=16 July 2018 |work=The Guardian|date=7 June 2013}}</ref> although he has also stated that he is "not really bothered" about the existence of God.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thirdway.hymnsam.co.uk/editions/septemberoctober-2015/high-profile/down-on-jollity-farm.aspx |title=Down on Jollity Farm |last=Turner |first=Steve |date=22 July 2015 |website=[[Third Way (magazine)|Third Way]]|access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref>

In 1969, Eavis and his second wife Jean visited the [[Bath Festival of Blues]]. Inspired by seeing the performance of [[Led Zeppelin]], Eavis hosted the Pilton Pop Folk & Blues Festival in 1970. The following year a free festival, Glastonbury Fayre was organised by [[Andrew Kerr (festival co-founder)|Andrew Kerr]] and associates, which later developed into the Glastonbury Festival.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/andrew-kerr-writer-and-festival-organiser-the-man-who-helped-make-glastonbury-festival-a-stunning-9783179.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311131614/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/andrew-kerr-writer-and-festival-organiser-the-man-who-helped-make-glastonbury-festival-a-stunning-9783179.html |archive-date=11 March 2016|url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Andrew Kerr, writer and festival organiser: The man who helped make Glastonbury Festival a stunning success|last=Williamson|first=Marcus|date=8 October 2014|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=29 August 2020}}</ref>

In 2005, Eavis was quoted in ''[[The Guardian]]'' as being a supporter of hunting. "I don't hunt myself, but I support the people who want to hunt. With all that's going on in the world, it was outrageous to ban it."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/apr/30/hunting.election2005 |title=Hunt is on for poll scalps but rural vote has other concerns |work=The Guardian |first=Duncan |last=Campbell |date=30 April 2005}}</ref> In 2006, he was appointed as President of the [[Somerset]] [[Chamber of commerce]] and Industry.<ref>{{cite journal |date=December 2006 |title= Business News&nbsp;– Eavis for President |journal=Mendip Times |volume=2 |issue=7 |page=8 }}</ref>

Eavis invited Labour leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] to appear at the 2017 festival, introducing the [[Run the Jewels]]' set. Eavis supported Corbyn's [[Anti-nuclear movement in the United Kingdom|anti-nuclear]] and [[Anti-austerity movement in the United Kingdom|anti-austerity]] policies, saying "he's got something new and precious, and people are excited about it. He really is the hero of the hour."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/16/jeremy-corbyn-pyramid-stage-glastonbury-festival-2017|title=Jeremy Corbyn to appear on Pyramid stage at Glastonbury festival 2017|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|last=Beaumont-Thomas|first=Ben|date=16 June 2017|access-date=18 June 2017}}</ref>

Eavis has apportioned profits from his Glastonbury Festival to support charitable causes, including local projects such as the restoration of the [[Tithe Barn, Pilton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/glastonbury2003/04/tithe_barn.shtml|title=Michael Eavis talks|work=BBC Somerset|publisher=BBC|access-date=2 November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news/+12thcenturytithe/index.html|title=12th Century Tithe Barn Restored with the Help of the Festival|date=29 April 2009|publisher=Glastonbury Festival|access-date=2 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204151544/http://archive.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news/+12thcenturytithe/index.html|archive-date=4 December 2008}}</ref> In November 2008, during an appearance on the [[BBC Radio 4]] programme ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'', Eavis stated that the Festival could never lose its licence due to the contribution it makes to the local economy.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7757380.stm | title=Glastonbury licence 'is assured' | date= 30 November 2008 |work= [[BBC News]] | access-date= 30 November 2008}}</ref>

Eavis holds honorary degrees from the [[University of Bath]] (Doctor of Arts ''honoris causa'', 2004)<ref>{{cite web|title=Michael Eavis – Honorary Graduates – December 2004|url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/archive/2004/12/10/hon04-eavis.html|publisher=University of Bath|access-date=2 July 2014}}</ref> and the [[University of Bristol]] (Master of Arts ''honoris causa'', 2006).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cms/go/hon-degree/Feb/feb-eavis.html |title=Bristol University &#124; Public and Ceremonial Events Office &#124; Honorary degrees |publisher=University of Bristol |date=5 June 2014 |access-date=29 June 2014}}</ref> In the [[2007 Queen's Birthday Honours]], he was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) for services to music.<ref name=londgazette /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6758183.stm |title=Rushdie and Eavis lead honours |work=BBC News |date=15 June 2007}}</ref> He was appointed [[Knight Bachelor]] in the [[2024 New Year Honours]] for services to music and charity.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=64269 |date=30 December 2023 |page=N2 |supp=y }}</ref>

In 2009 Eavis was nominated by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1894289_1894264,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503144919/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1894289_1894264,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 May 2009|title=Time magazine Eavis Listing|magazine=Time|access-date=11 June 2009 | date=30 April 2009}}</ref> In 2012, he was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from the [[University for the Creative Arts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/news/2012/july/honorary-degrees-2012|title=UCA – News|access-date=1 August 2014|archive-date=19 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519114152/http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/news/2012/july/honorary-degrees-2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2015 train operator [[First Great Western]] named [[InterCity 125|High Speed Train]] powercar [[British Rail Class 43 (HST)|43026]] ''Michael Eavis''.<ref>[https://www.nme.com/news/music/glastonbury-41-1224415 Train to Glastonbury named after festival founder Michael Eavis]. ''[[NME]]'', 23 April 2015</ref> After this was withdrawn, [[British Rail Class 802|802013]] was named in April 2019.<ref>Wrong IET set at Castle Cary for Glastonbury event founder naming ''[[The Railway Magazine]]'' issue 1418, May 2019. Page 106</ref>

In early 2024 Eavis was knighted at [[Windsor Castle]], by the [[Princess Royal]], for services to music and charity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis to receive knighthood |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4n1e89k0ylo |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

*[[Max Yasgur]], American farmer who hosted the [[Woodstock Festival]] in 1969

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{{Historic rock festival}}

[[Category:21st-century English farmers]]

[[Category:Music promoters]]

[[Category:English patrons of music]]

[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]