Ed Sheeran found this record in a second-hand store - now it's finally getting attention

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Ed Sheeran found this record in a second-hand store - now it's finally getting attention14 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleBBCAllan Taylor spent 60 years on the folk scene before retiring earlier this yearWhen Ed Sheeran recently declared his love for an obscure album he had unearthed in a second-hand record shop in New York, it was big a surprise to the English singer who made it almost 50 years ago. It was also a bit of welcome recognition as well. After buying a copy of Allan Taylor's 1978 LP The Traveller, Ed Sheeran may have spotted something of a kindred spirit in his fellow singer-songwriter.

Taylor started out performing in pubs and bars, sleeping on floors and sofas with his guitar and little else, several decades before Sheeran began his career on a similar path. Taylor toured the world and signed major record deals. But unlike Sheeran, mainstream success eluded him.

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"Everything I did wrong, he did right," Taylor says ruefully. That's not to say the 80-year-old hasn't had a fruitful and fulfilling career. He performed at the Royal Albert Hall with Fairport Convention, hung out in New York with Bob Marley and has been covered by dozens of artists.

He's highly respected on the folk scene, and has found recognition in Europe. Ed Sheeran said Taylor's LP The Traveller "feels like a special vinyl in the collection"At home, the Leeds-based singer had been due to bring the curtain down on his career with a string of farewell concerts at folk clubs this summer, but was forced to cancel them because of health problems. Just as he was settling into retirement, he received some unexpected late attention when Sheeran posted a rave review for his long-forgotten LP.

"Been buying random vinyl at record stores, coming across some gems," the star wrote on Instagram in April. "Allan Taylor - The Traveller I found in a record store in Williamsburg, and I love it. Can't find it anywhere online, so feels like a special vinyl in the collection.

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"Sheeran's post came out of the blue. "I find it flattering that someone of his stature has seen something in what I do as being interesting," Taylor responds. While The Traveller had been available unofficially on YouTube, it has just been released on Spotify for the first time following Sheeran's endorsement.

The pair have spoken at length on the phone. "I found him remarkably down-to-earth, friendly and very interesting as a songwriter," Taylor says. "He says he wants to drop by for a cup of tea.

"Getty ImagesEd Sheeran has been in touch with Allan Taylor since discovering his albumDuring their conversations, Taylor has told Sheeran all about his eventful life. He grew up in Brighton but left his family, girlfriend and apprenticeship as a telephone engineer behind to seek adventure in Europe in 1966 at the age of 21. "I had that foreboding of what life was going to be, and I was getting pretty good on the guitar, so I sold my birthday presents to raise the money to go to Sweden.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.