Ewan MacColl (1915–1989) was a British folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist, and actor. Born James Henry Miller to Scottish parents in England, he was one of the key figures of the 1960s folk revival.

MacColl collected hundreds of traditional folk songs and released dozens of albums, many with A.L. Lloyd. Together they recorded an ambitious series of eight LPs covering some 70 of the 305 Child Ballads. He also recorded extensively with Peggy Seeger, whom he married in 1977. MacColl wrote numerous songs that have become standards, including “Dirty Old Town” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” the latter winning a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1972.