Ian Russell: key obituary facts
Is Ian Russell dead? Yes. Ian Russell died on May 16, 2026, at age 79.
Cause of death: Ian Russell's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Ian Russell known for?
He was a British folklorist.
More about Ian Russell
Born: 1 January 1947.
Gender: male.
Occupation: folklorist.
Ian Russell, a British folklorist whose work focused on singing traditions in the English Pennines, died on May 16, 2026, at the age of 79.
Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on February 17, 1947, to William and Joan Russell, he became widely noted for his research into regional folksong and traditional drama. From 1969 onward, Russell carried out extensive fieldwork in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, building a body of scholarship on local performance and song traditions that shaped his reputation in the field.