Topic: Michael Eavis

Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis, CBE (born 17 October 1935), is an English dairy farmer and the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place on his farm.

His family hails from Devon and, after his great grandfather walked the family dairy herd north, settled at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset. His father was a local Methodist preacher, while his mother was a school teacher. Eavis was educated at the fee-paying Wells Cathedral School, followed by the Thames Nautical Training College after which he joined the Union-Castle Line, which comprised part of the British Merchant Navy, as a trainee Midshipman. His plan was to spend 20 years at sea, returning with a pension to subsidise the income from the farm. After his father died in 1958, Eavis returned to inherit the family farm of 150 acres (0.61 km2) and 60 cows.

Divorcing from his first wife Ruth in 1964 with whom he had three children, in 1969 Eavis and his second wife Jean Hayball visited the Bath Festival of Blues. Inspired by seeing the performance of Led Zeppelin, they hosted a free festival the following year. This developed into the Glastonbury Festival as it is known today. Jean died in 1999, since then their daughter Emily has taken a more active role in running the event. In common with his mother and his second wife, Eavis remains a regular Methodist chapel-goer. Eavis has since remarried his third wife, Liz.