2008
Bobby Harvey
Bobby, from Glasgow, and his band were resident band at the 5 Star Gleneagles Hotel for 24 years, with his lifelong friend Ivor Britton as lead accordionist. Bobby was the first fiddle player to appear as guest at The Hole in the Wa’ back c1965 and was so inspired by the experience that he immediately phoned all his Glasgow musician friends and they formed the MAFIA (Milngavie Accordion, Fiddle and Instrumental Associates), with Max Houliston as their first guest, who agreed to the fee which was “any cash in the old lum hat that had been bought at a jumble sale for a shilling”. The MAFIA, in turn, was directly responsible for clubs at Perth, Beith, Galston, Balloch, Inveraray, Oban and elsewhere being formed. During his long career Bobby was renowned as a fiddler, bandleader, MC and raconteur with an endless supply of jokes and stories to captivate his audience.
Bobby Harvey
Bobby, from Glasgow, and his band were resident band at the 5 Star Gleneagles Hotel for 24 years, with his lifelong friend Ivor Britton as lead accordionist. Bobby was the first fiddle player to appear as guest at The Hole in the Wa’ back c1965 and was so inspired by the experience that he immediately phoned all his Glasgow musician friends and they formed the MAFIA (Milngavie Accordion, Fiddle and Instrumental Associates), with Max Houliston as their first guest, who agreed to the fee which was “any cash in the old lum hat that had been bought at a jumble sale for a shilling”. The MAFIA, in turn, was directly responsible for clubs at Perth, Beith, Galston, Balloch, Inveraray, Oban and elsewhere being formed. During his long career Bobby was renowned as a fiddler, bandleader, MC and raconteur with an endless supply of jokes and stories to captivate his audience.