Michael Eavis
| Michael Eavis CBE |
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|---|---|
Eavis in 2005
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| Born |
Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis 17 October 1935 Pilton, Somerset, UK |
| Occupation | Farmer, businessman |
Michael Eavis CBE (born Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis; 17 October 1935) is an English dairy farmer and the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place at his farm in Pilton, Somerset.
Eavis was born in Pilton, Somerset and grew up at Worthy Farm in the village. His father was a local Methodist preacher, and his mother a school teacher. Eavis was educated at Wells Cathedral School, followed by the Thames Nautical Training College 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. After his father died in 1954, Eavis inherited the family farm of 150 acres (61 ha) and 60 cows. He worked at Mendip Colliery at Nettlebridge or New Rock colliery at Stratton-on-the-Fosse on the Somerset Coalfield for a couple of years to help supplement the income from the farm.
Eavis and his first wife Ruth had three children, (Juliet, Rebecca and Jane) but divorced in 1964. He next married Jean Hayball, with whom he had a son Patrick and a daughter Emily. Jean died of cancer in 1999, and Eavis has since married his third wife, Liz. In common with his parents and second wife, Eavis remains a practising Methodist.
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 Fair was organised by Andrew Kerr and associates, which later developed into the Glastonbury Festival.
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