2015
Kenny Wilson Kenny Wilson was born in 1930 near Leadhills in South Lanarkshire. As a boy he received fiddle lessons from local postman Alex Brown and progressed so well that Alex introduced him to play with the Lanark Amateur Orchestra. Kenny played with Andrew Coke’s band for some 12 years and in 1961 he joined the Carlton Quintet. Ian Holmes from Dumfries then approached Kenny and asked him to join his band - which he did for over thirty years. During this time, Kenny also performed and guested with many other bands including Max Houliston, Bobby MacLeod, Sir Jimmy Shand, Andrew Rankine Iain MacPhail, Callum Wilson, Bill Black and Ronnie Easton. During the 1970’s the Border Strathspey and Reel Society was formed and Kenny conducted the orchestra for 12 years. Although not a composer himself over the years Kenny has had four tunes written for him – a jig by Ian Holmes, reels by Donald Ridley and John Renton and a pipe tune by the late Ian Crichton. Kenny spent his entire working life as a gamekeeper, including 28 years as “Head Keeper” at the Hopetoun Estate, Leadhills. Click here to read a more detailed article about Kenny - "The Leadhills Fiddler". |