Celia Humphris

Celia Humphris (26 December 1950–11 January 2021), later known as Celia Drummond, was an English singer and voice artist. She is best known for her position as the lead singer of the folk rock band Trees, a position which she held throughout the band's active years.

Early life and education

Humphris was born on 26 December 1950 to Frank Humphris, an illustrator for the Eagle comic series. She attended Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, where she studied singing, dance and drama.

Trees (1969–1972)

Humphris auditioned for Trees at the request of acoustic guitarist David Costa. Costa specifically wanted her for the band as he knew Humphris as the sister of an acquaintance, and the band did not have a lead vocalist at the time.

Humphris was the lead vocalist for both albums produced by the original group: The Garden of Jane Delawney (April 1970) and On the Shore (January 1971). She remained with the band for its second incarnation in 1972 after the original group dissolved, continuing to provide the lead vocals.

After Trees

After Trees, Humphris continued as a singer. After marrying BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Drummond in August 1972, Humphris co-hosted several radio music shows and later became a regular voice on Capital Radio.

Humphris was also a highly sought-after voice artist, providing vocals for a wide variety of environments, including television adverts, radio drama and cartoon characters. Her voice was also known for being widely used at many railway stations across the British railway network, a position which she often shared with voice artist Phil Sayer. She provided guest vocals for several songs on Judy Dyble's Talking With Strangers album in 2009, Dodson and Fogg, a folk-rock project released in 2012, and appeared as a guest vocalist on Galley Beggar's 2017 album Heathen Hymns, released on Rise Above Records.

Humphris also hosted a wedding business as a celebrant in Provence, France where she lived for many of her later years.

Personal life

Humphris married BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Drummond in August 1972, though the couple divorced in 1995.

For much of her later life, Humphris lived in Provence. She died on 11 January 2021, at the age of 70.