Andy Stewart (musician)
| Andy Stewart MBE | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Andrew Stewart |
| Born | 30 December 1933 |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 11 October 1993 (aged 59) |
| Genres |
Comedy music Folk music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, comedian, compere, impressionist |
| Years active | 1955–93 |
| Labels |
EMI Top Rank Capitol (North America) |
| Associated acts | Scottish television show The White Heather Club |
Andrew "Andy" Stewart MBE (30 December 1933 – 11 October 1993) was a Scottish singer and entertainer.
He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1933, the son of a teacher. When he was five years old, the family moved to Perth and then, 6 years later, to Arbroath. Even in early childhood, he loved imitating people and amazed his parents with impersonations of famous singers and actors. He attended Arbroath High School, where his father taught science.
In 1950, at the age of 16, he participated in the Arbroath Abbey Pageant, taking the part of "A Knight in Shining Armour." Up until this time, he had not thought seriously about a career in entertainment, as he had aspirations of becoming a veterinary surgeon. He then decided to train as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, where he studied until 1954. During his first year at the college, he obtained First Prize for Comedy; he also excelled in fencing, particularly at the foil.
Stewart's patriotic wearing of tartan and his use of stereotypical Scottish humour, throughout the 1960s, echoed the music hall style and songs of fellow Scot Sir Harry Lauder.
He had several international hit singles: "Come in-Come in", "Donald Where's Your Troosers?", "A Scottish Soldier" (which reached no. 1 in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, spent 36 weeks in the UK Singles Chart in 1961, charted in South Africa and India, and peaked at No.69 on the USA's Billboard Hot 100) "Campbeltown Loch", "The Muckin' O' Geordie's Byre", "The Road to Dundee","The Battle's O'er" (no.1 on the Australian charts in July 1961), "Take Me Back", "Tunes of Glory", and "Dr. Finlay" (1965). He is also remembered for being the compere of 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). At the height of its popularity, the show had a viewership of 10 million.
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