I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. My family's musical traditions stretch back across several generations. I was lucky enough to have a grandfather who was a journalist. He recorded various snippets about the old singsongs at home.
My dad used to bottle feed me to Songs for Swinging Lovers by Sinatra so I was introduced early to Swing music. My uncle Doug played harmonica in a Skiffle band and they released a single.
On one side, my grandparents performed in theatre and vaudeville, on the other, they were self taught musicians and folk singers.
From about fourteen I played in experimental bands including the Scottish New Wave band 'The Androids'. We were reviewed in NME with air play on BBC Radio. I met John Peel once, while busking on the Pier head Liverpool and had the chance to thank him for playing the single. He was a great wee guy who took the time to talk to a nobody busking on the pierhead.At University I played bass with the Manchester based funk/reggae band 'I Giggle when I'm Tickled'. The band captured the Three Electras, a trio of gorgeous harmony-singing ladies. We were suddenly extremely popular; a popularity that sadly evaporated when the girls left.
Later I rediscovered my folk roots playing with a variety of bands including 'The Keltix', whose front man, Bernie Shaw, taught me about everything I know about the music business. The Keltix songs were featured on BBC radio and television. Searching carefully, you will find me lurking as a busker in episodes of Peak Practice and as various bits of human anatomy in four of the Prime Suspects. I might as well admit now that i can't act my way out of paper bag. I did mime for three years but that only got me a colourful reputation.
I picked up experience busking in Europe and America, from the Paris Metro to Riverboats on the Mississippi, during which time I dabbled with fiddle, mandolin, banjo, penny whistle and piano. Tony Trundle, the superb Irish fiddler, tried to pass on some help with the fiddle but he found the material wanting in ability. Paul Easterbrook, a piano teacher, was enormously helpful with my voice. He saw me busking in Chorlton, Manchester and thought there was something worth working on. He gave me ten free lessons.
In 1999 I was invited to sing with the dance spectacular 'Celtic Life' where I recorded my first solo CD 'The Lullaby of Scotland' featuring some traditional favourites and my own original material.
Sometimes people ask about the big gigs I've played. I believe a musician just has to play. It's a compulsion. I'm happy playing in a traditional folk session, on the street or to an audience of thousands.
In 2004 I composed the song 'Hearts of Glory' for the Hearts Great War Memorial Fund. The CD reached no 20 in the BBC Indie charts, something of a miracle for a folk ballad. 'Hearts of Glory' was finally performed at Tynecastle to a capacity crowd of around 20,000 by Scapa Flow. In the same year my Fantasy novel, School: The Seventh Silence' was published by the UK based company, Immanion Press. It was termed 'brilliant first novel' by Mike Glyer then Chairperson of the World Fantasy Con. I think it sold about twenty copies. I seem to be reviving my career as a horror writer at the moment with stories published in Charles Black's Black Books of Horror and an evil little magazine called 'Filthy Creations' edited mostly by Rog Pile.
My CD, 'Lord of Whisky' was termed the 'best of Scottish folk' by one charming fellow. The latest 'A Health to the Ladies' is said to be my best effort.
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