Andy Stewart (musician)

Andy Stewart (30 December 1933 - 11 October 1993) was a Scottish singer and entertainer.

Career

The use of tartan patriotism and stereotypical Scottish humour, goes back to Sir Harry Lauder and music hall songs. In the 1960s this strand was continued by the entertainer, Andy Stewart.

He was born in Glasgow in 1933, the son of a teacher. He moved to Arbroath as a child, and then trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

He had several hit singles - "Come in-Come in", "Donald Where's Yer Troosers?", "A Scottish Soldier" (36 weeks in the UK Singles Chart in 1961), "Campbeltown Loch", "The Muckin' O' Geordie's Byre", "The Road to Dundee", "Tunes Of Glory", and "Dr. Finlay" (1965). He is also remembered for being the compere of the "The White Heather Club". This was a BBC Scotland television programme that existed as an annual New Year's Eve party (1957 - 1968), and also as a weekly early evening series (1960 - 1968). "Donald Where's Yer Troosers?" was a hit in 1961 and again in 1989. Andy does an Elvis Presley impersonation half way through the song. On the strength of this comedy hit, Andy toured Australia and appeared on the "Ed Sullivan show" in 1968, doing impersonations of Dean Martin. His skill with different accents is also evident on "The Rumour", where the rumour moves across Scotland and into Ireland, with Andy speaking in a different accent for each place.

His albums, such as "Scottish Soldier" and "Andy Stewart's Scotland", were also popular internationally.

In retirement he moved back to Arbroath and died there in 1993. Before he died he did a small concert at Arbroath High School (which he had attended) for the pupils. He was also due to appear in a concert at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre. A sheltered housing scheme in Arbroath, 'Andy Stewart Court', was named in his memory.

Stewart died after giving one of his most renowned performances during a Gala Benefit Concert for Children's Hospice Association Scotland. He came to the Usher Hall in Edinburgh from his sick bed to appear for the children, and gave his last ever performance, a performance regarded as one of his best, by some, considering how sick he was at the time.

Stewart's son Ewan Stewart is an actor, whose film credits include "Rob Roy" and "Titanic".

ee also

*Music of Scotland
*Royal Variety Performance
*List of British Music Hall musicians
*List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart
*List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1960s
*List of Scottish musicians