FOLK legend Ewan MacColl once upset Salford council by writing the song Dirty Old Town.

The original lyrics included the line `smelled a spring on the Salford wind' but were changed to `smelled a spring on a smokey wind' after criticism from the council.

Now the city will honour the singer by staging a memorial concert to mark the 20th anniversary of his death.

Among the special guests will be his partner for the last 30 years of his life, American folk singer Peggy Seeger. It was for Seeger he wrote the classic The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

The event will also see the launch of a revised edition of MacColl's autobiography, Journeyman, which includes an introduction by Seeger.

The book recalls his Salford childhood - a profound influence on his song writing.

The concert will be at Peel Hall, Salford University, on October 27.

In 1991 MacColl was awarded a posthumous honorary degree by the university. He was born James (Jimmie) Miller in Broughton, Salford. With his first wife, Joan Littlewood, he was the founder of a radical theatre workshop in Manchester.

In the 1930s MI5 began a file on MacColl after police tipped them off that he was a communist.

Dirty Old Town was written in 1946 for a documentary play about Salford.

The Spinners, who made the first popular recording of the song, sang `Salford wind' - the leader singer on the track, Mick Groves, is a Salfordian. Rod Stewart also sang `Salford' on his recording in 1969 as did The Pogues in 1985.

MacColl died in 1989. His daughter from his marriage to dancer Jean Newlove - Kirsty MacColl - also had a successful musical career but was killed in 2000 in a boating accident.