Thomas Fraser 1927-1978

This myspace is dedicated to the memory of the late, great Thomas Fraser of Shetland who died in 1978, aged only 50 years. Thomas had been a fisherman and crofter on the remote island of Burra who left a quite stunning legacy: thousands of songs recorded in his small croft house using a reel-to-reel recorder. Not music traditionally associated with Shetland entirely, for Thomas was an exponent of the country and blues styles and his passion was the guitar. Thomas never intended for his music to be released on a wider scale - he simply recorded for sheer enjoyment and love of the music, particularly that of 'the singing brakeman', Jimmie Rodgers.For over a quarter of century, Thomas's work lay undisturbed and largely forgotten. In 2000 his grandson discovered the original tapes. Astounded by the quality and sincerity of the music, a posthumous CD 'Long Gone Lonesome Blues' was released in 2002 to great critical acclaim. Two further albums followed: 'You and My Old Guitar' (2003) and 'Treasure Untold' (2005).With a further CD release to follow in 2008, a commemorative signature guitar and an annual Memorial Festival, the Thomas Fraser story has been cited as one of the most remarkable in recorded music history.