Roy Bailey, MBE (born in London on 20 October 1935; died in Sheffield on 20 November 2018) was an English socialist folk singer.

Bailey began his musical career in a skiffle band in 1958, and later joined folk 'supergroup' The Three City Four (as a replacement for Martin Carthy). His first solo album was released in 1971.

In the 2000 Honours List, Bailey received the MBE for services to folk music. On the 23rd August 2006, he returned the MBE in protest at the UK government's foreign policy with regard to Lebanon and Palestine. By doing so he joined the List of people who have declined a British honor

In 2003, Bailey together with Tony Benn were awarded "Best Live Act" at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, for their hugely successful programme "Writing on the Wall." Tony Benn cited Bailey as "the greatest socialist folksinger of his generation."

Bailey was an Emeritus Professor of Social Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. He was also the patron of Towersey Village Festival, Shepley Spring Festival and the Music on the Marr Festival based in the village of Castle Carrock, Cumbria. He was the father-in-law of Martin Simpson, the British singer and guitarist, whose wife Kit is Bailey's daughter. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.