Billy Grant
by Derek Hamilton
The backline of the current Scottish Dance Bands get more publicity nowadays than ever before. And quite rightly too! Names like Davie Flockhart, Gus Millar, Billy Craib, Billy Thom and Neil McMillan have become just about as well known names as Jim Johnstone, Jim MacLeod, Alex MacArthur and so on.
It’s really only in comparatively recent times that the back-line boys have been given credit. In the past, all but perhaps the most popular bands, like Ian Powrie for example, had comparatively anonymous side men.
One such anonymous player is Billy Grant. Billy is a drummer of the highest calibre who has appeared on countless records and broadcasts as well as television shows with some of the top names in the Scottish music scene.
Billy lives in Glasgow and in the mid-sixties was the regular drummer with Alistair Herron and his band. He did broadcasts of Scottish dance music with Alistair between 1964 and 1967. Billy was also the drummer on Max Houliston’s first broadcast from Glasgow in 1965.
Colin Campbell and his Highland Band used Billy Grant on drums for broadcasts and records. ‘Up Among the Heather’ was one record which springs to mind.
In 1964 BBC Television had a series of ‘Songs All the Way’ in which Alistair Herron’s Band featured. Billy was there on drums. On STV in 1967/68 you may remember a series with Alasdair Gillies called ‘Alasdair Sings’. It featured Colin Campbell’s Highland Band with, of course, Billy Grant on drums.
Apart from all the tours with shows like’This is Scotland’, Billy also accompanied Alasdair Gillies, Robin Hall and Jimmie MacGregor, and many more, to places as far apart as Wick and Brighton and just about everywhere in between.
Billy did quite a few records for David Silver when his band was popular in the ‘60’s.
More recently LPs like ‘Souvenir of Scotland’ with Malcolm Kennedy, ‘Swing Your Partners’ with Fergie MacDonald, ‘Scottish Accordion Hits’ Vols 1 & 2 with Calum McLean, ‘Hot Stuff’ with the Currie Brothers, ‘Take Two’ also by those brilliant boys from Milngavie, have all had Billy Grant on drums.
Sandy MacArthur used Billy on his first album for Bluebell and Tommy Darkie’s ‘Homecoming’ on the Shona label had Billy Grant on drums.
Billy is a self-taught drummer who has a great knowledge of the Scottish scene and an all-round capability in modern music as well. Like so many other drummers his idol in the early days was the legendary Arthur Easson. He’s also a great admirer of Billy Thom and Gus Millar.
Nowadays Billy plays mainly with button box player Charlie Kirkpatrick, but enjoys the odd session now and then.
The wealth of talent amongst the ‘back-line’ boys is tremendous. Billy Grant is just one example from scores of great back-line musicians who very seldom hear their names mentioned.
Box and Fiddle
December 1981
It’s really only in comparatively recent times that the back-line boys have been given credit. In the past, all but perhaps the most popular bands, like Ian Powrie for example, had comparatively anonymous side men.
One such anonymous player is Billy Grant. Billy is a drummer of the highest calibre who has appeared on countless records and broadcasts as well as television shows with some of the top names in the Scottish music scene.
Billy lives in Glasgow and in the mid-sixties was the regular drummer with Alistair Herron and his band. He did broadcasts of Scottish dance music with Alistair between 1964 and 1967. Billy was also the drummer on Max Houliston’s first broadcast from Glasgow in 1965.
Colin Campbell and his Highland Band used Billy Grant on drums for broadcasts and records. ‘Up Among the Heather’ was one record which springs to mind.
In 1964 BBC Television had a series of ‘Songs All the Way’ in which Alistair Herron’s Band featured. Billy was there on drums. On STV in 1967/68 you may remember a series with Alasdair Gillies called ‘Alasdair Sings’. It featured Colin Campbell’s Highland Band with, of course, Billy Grant on drums.
Apart from all the tours with shows like’This is Scotland’, Billy also accompanied Alasdair Gillies, Robin Hall and Jimmie MacGregor, and many more, to places as far apart as Wick and Brighton and just about everywhere in between.
Billy did quite a few records for David Silver when his band was popular in the ‘60’s.
More recently LPs like ‘Souvenir of Scotland’ with Malcolm Kennedy, ‘Swing Your Partners’ with Fergie MacDonald, ‘Scottish Accordion Hits’ Vols 1 & 2 with Calum McLean, ‘Hot Stuff’ with the Currie Brothers, ‘Take Two’ also by those brilliant boys from Milngavie, have all had Billy Grant on drums.
Sandy MacArthur used Billy on his first album for Bluebell and Tommy Darkie’s ‘Homecoming’ on the Shona label had Billy Grant on drums.
Billy is a self-taught drummer who has a great knowledge of the Scottish scene and an all-round capability in modern music as well. Like so many other drummers his idol in the early days was the legendary Arthur Easson. He’s also a great admirer of Billy Thom and Gus Millar.
Nowadays Billy plays mainly with button box player Charlie Kirkpatrick, but enjoys the odd session now and then.
The wealth of talent amongst the ‘back-line’ boys is tremendous. Billy Grant is just one example from scores of great back-line musicians who very seldom hear their names mentioned.
Box and Fiddle
December 1981