1994
Andrew Rankine
(1932 - 1985)
Born in Aberdeen but brought up in Menstrie, at 16 years of age Andrew was a late starter on the accordion but made up for it by practising 4 hours every evening and 8 hours a day at weekends. Such was his progress that he did his first broadcast in 1951 but it was his line up of 1955, namely, Bob Christie, Jack Delaney, Jimmy Scott, Stan Saunders and Andy Hamilton which is perhaps best remembered. Andrew had a knack of putting together great sets of tunes and making the band swing. He was renowned as a hard task master (and for arriving late) but the band was immensely popular. In 1960 he gave up the band and moved to Whitley Bay then, in 1963 ,to Leicester where he had a prolonged solo career at The Bierkeller, playing all types of music on his Cordovox. His final move was to California in 1984 to establish The Scottish Heritage Centre near The Queen Mary at Long Beach. Andrew died of a heart attack the following year at Huntington Beach aged only 53.
Andrew Rankine
(1932 - 1985)
Born in Aberdeen but brought up in Menstrie, at 16 years of age Andrew was a late starter on the accordion but made up for it by practising 4 hours every evening and 8 hours a day at weekends. Such was his progress that he did his first broadcast in 1951 but it was his line up of 1955, namely, Bob Christie, Jack Delaney, Jimmy Scott, Stan Saunders and Andy Hamilton which is perhaps best remembered. Andrew had a knack of putting together great sets of tunes and making the band swing. He was renowned as a hard task master (and for arriving late) but the band was immensely popular. In 1960 he gave up the band and moved to Whitley Bay then, in 1963 ,to Leicester where he had a prolonged solo career at The Bierkeller, playing all types of music on his Cordovox. His final move was to California in 1984 to establish The Scottish Heritage Centre near The Queen Mary at Long Beach. Andrew died of a heart attack the following year at Huntington Beach aged only 53.