Rosemary "Rosie" Hardman (born 26 February 1945) is a British folk singer-songwriter, musician and performer, best known for such recordings as Lady For Today, Pride of the River, Song to the Evening Sky, and Tongue Tied. Hardman was one of the mainstays of the Manchester folk scene in the 1960s, and performed extensively in both the UK and internationally until 1991. Career Early life Rosemary Hardman was born in and grew up in Manchester, England. She was educated at the nearby Urmston Grammar School for Girls. Before turning professional as a singer in 1968, she worked at a variety of jobs in her early career, including as a horse riding instructor, assistant in a bookstore, hairdresser, and secretary for the MSG artiste booking agency. She began writing songs at the age of 13 and made her first folk club appearance in 1965, at the Manchester Sports Guild. Over the next three years, she established herself as resident singer and organiser of a number of folk clubs. 1960s: Early years After three years of playing amateur and semi-professional gigs on the folk scene, Hardman turned professional in December 1968. That month she released her first album, Queen of Hearts, on the Folk Heritage label. It contained a mixture of traditional and contemporary material. The album was recorded live on 29 December 1968 at the Bate Hall Hotel, Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK. Six months later she teamed up with south London guitarist Bob Axford, and they performed mainly original material. 1970s: Success Rosie Hardman and Bob Axford released a joint album, Second Season Came(1970), on the Trailer Records label. This album included her most popular and covered song "Lady for Today". They released a second album together (her third) Firebird in 1971, also on the Trailer Records label. In 1971 Hardman married Rob Ixer on 17 April. Many of their friends from the music scene attended. Her matron of honor was Toni Arthur (a folk singer who later became known on children's TV). For their informal evening reception, they gathered at the Manchester Sports Guild, where Hardman had been a compere and guest artist. That night the hall had already booked Barbara Dickson. In the early/mid 1970s, Hardman toured with singer/songwriter Andy Caven as her road manager/sound engineer. They recorded a version of her song "Fiddler Man" together before Caven followed his independent career. In 1974, Hardman played the Cambridge Folk Festival and