Will Starr
(1922-1976)
‘The Daddy of Them All’
Having just lost the nation’s greatest exponent of the 3 row British Chromatic ever to grace the bandstand it was recently drawn to my attention by Jimmy Divers from Cleland, Wishaw that 6th March 2001 marked the 25th Anniversary of the death of the greatest 3-row player ever to grace the theatre stage – the legendary Will Starr.
I recall Derek Hamilton saying that it was the untimely death of Will on 6th March 1976 which prompted the NAAFC to start honouring notable musicians while they were still with us, and much valuable work has been done since then, but by then it was too late for the man of whom enthusiasts say to this day “once heard, never forgotten”.
He was born William Starrs in Smithstone Row in the small Dunbartonshire mining village of Croy on April 27th, 1922. His father, Joseph, played the melodeon and Will was only three years old when he too developed an interest.
Will was second eldest son in a family of five girls and three boys and it was along with his sister Rose, at the age of nine, that he started off on the road to success. At the small “go-as-you-please” village talent competitions of the time Will played the melodeon and Rose sang. These competitions were one of the highlights of the year for the host community and would attract competitors and large audiences from surrounding districts and beyond.
Will was one such competitor but he stood apart from the start because of his exceptional talent. Jimmy Divers learned from a friend of Will that although not a participant he picked up additional musical knowledge by attending and listening to Salvation Army Band practices in Kilsyth. His expertise was recognised when he was allowed to leave school a year early, at the age of thirteen, to pursue a career as a professional musician and bring in some much needed additional income for the family in those difficult times. His debut was made (wearing a velvet suit with silver buttons) at the old Glasgow Empress Theatre.
When war broke out in 1939 it was not the Forces that beckoned but the local mines where in time he became a “Bevin Boy” at Gartshore coal mine. However he did not neglect his music-making and it was during the war that he met Robert Wilson, the man who was to set him on the road to nationwide acclaim and stardom. Opinions vary as to the venue of that first meeting – it was either Dunoon or The Central Hotel in Glasgow. Robert invited Will to play the following Sunday at a cinema in Forfar and such was his impact that he was asked to join the White Heather Group.
Will cut his first 78 single for Parlophone in the 1940s on a Stradella Cooperativa. It was an own composition in a Continental waltz style and at that point in time was unnamed. Asked what it was to be called Will settled for the name of his current girlfriend and the unforgettable “Jacqueline Waltz” entered the Scottish Dance music repertoire. It was the first of two dozen 78s he released on that label and about ten LPs on the Thistle and Pye labels.
It was on tour with Robert Wilson’s White Heather Group that most people first came into contact with the strikingly handsome, clean-cut young Will Starr. Immaculately dressed the kilt or occasionally trews for his many stage appearances he created the image remembered today. Bearing in mind that his music was entirely unaccompanied, Will was still able to captivate both musicians and non-musicians alike with his blistering performances on what had previously been seen only as the humble melodeon.
Another notable feature for the time was that his performances consisted not only of Scottish melodies but dazzling Continental pieces by composers such as Peguri, Vacher and Peyronnin being heard live for the first time such as Four Accordion Solos As Played by Will Starr and published by J. S. Kerr in 1959 namely “Rhein de Musette”, “Les Triolets”, “Martelette” and “Bourrasque”.
Let’s hear though from someone who actually witnessed Will in action, Accordion Club regular and Starr enthusiast Jimmy Divers – “I first heard Will Starr around 1945/6 when I was at the tender age of sixteen. When the word came that the White Heather Group were appearing at a concert in the local Parochial Hall there was a scramble for tickets. Most people were interested in Robert Wilson or Jack Radcliffe but since my father played a 2-row, and my brother a 5-row, our interest lay farther down the bill. An uncle, who also played the 2-row and the dulcimer, had heard Will Starr in The Metropole and The Pavilion and told us not to miss him.
That night he had two spots, each lasting approximately fifteen minutes. His first spot consisted of a set of jigs, ‘The Cuckoo Waltz’, ‘Standchen’ and ‘The Martelette Polka’ and in the second he played ‘The Hills of Perth’, ‘The Jacqueline Waltz’, ‘The Last Post’ and finished with a set of hornpipes, which included ‘The Johnston Hornpipe’, ‘The High Level’ and ‘Harvest Home’.
To say that he was well received would be an understatement. His handling of the 3-row Franchitti was superb. Here was a diatonic player playing solo with a punch and flair not surpassed by any of the multi-couplered single action accordionists of his time.
As any diatonic player will attest, it is very difficult to play forcefully and retain control of the instrument. This was obviously not a problem to Will Starr. His control of the bellows, the air-bar and the keyboard was absolute. He was also the first I ever heard playing Musette Waltzes and Polkas.
After that first concert I was firmly hooked by the music of Will Starr. I heard him perform many times and never left disappointed. He played with such ‘lift’ and verve that you felt compelled to march or dance to the music. I have heard the phrase ‘it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck’ used and abused many times about much lesser mortals but if you want to really experience that feeling then listen to Will Starr playing ‘The Harvest Home Hornpipe’ or ‘The Martelette Polka’ to name just two examples of his outstanding playing. His last record had, for me, the most appropriate of titles The Daddy of Them All.”
As a matter of interest, Jimmy tells me that Franchitti accordions were made in Glasgow and that Will probably developed his interest in Continental music from the 78s of Emily Vacher, a French diatonic accordionist who had lost his left hand in a road accident and who recorded with banjo accompaniment.
It was in 1948 that the Group headed for Toronto in Canada. Their concert was a sell out and the audiences just wouldn’t let them off stage. This date was their only one at that time but word got round, which in turn led to regular tours of Canada and America with South Africa and Hong Kong sometimes thrown in for good measure.
One of his proudest moments was when he was presented with the freedom of Chilliwack in British Columbia during a tour in 1952. He had been asked to attend a civic dinner with other performers from the tour but knew nothing of the honour he was about to receive which created him “Honorary Mayor of Chilliwack”
With the death of Robert Wilson in 1963 following a road accident, Will had to move in new directions. The Royal Clansmen came into being after a spot in a show in Perth Theatre, which led to an opportunity for the group to appear on an episode of “Calum’s Ceilidh” with Calum Kennedy.
I recall Derek Hamilton saying that it was the untimely death of Will on 6th March 1976 which prompted the NAAFC to start honouring notable musicians while they were still with us, and much valuable work has been done since then, but by then it was too late for the man of whom enthusiasts say to this day “once heard, never forgotten”.
He was born William Starrs in Smithstone Row in the small Dunbartonshire mining village of Croy on April 27th, 1922. His father, Joseph, played the melodeon and Will was only three years old when he too developed an interest.
Will was second eldest son in a family of five girls and three boys and it was along with his sister Rose, at the age of nine, that he started off on the road to success. At the small “go-as-you-please” village talent competitions of the time Will played the melodeon and Rose sang. These competitions were one of the highlights of the year for the host community and would attract competitors and large audiences from surrounding districts and beyond.
Will was one such competitor but he stood apart from the start because of his exceptional talent. Jimmy Divers learned from a friend of Will that although not a participant he picked up additional musical knowledge by attending and listening to Salvation Army Band practices in Kilsyth. His expertise was recognised when he was allowed to leave school a year early, at the age of thirteen, to pursue a career as a professional musician and bring in some much needed additional income for the family in those difficult times. His debut was made (wearing a velvet suit with silver buttons) at the old Glasgow Empress Theatre.
When war broke out in 1939 it was not the Forces that beckoned but the local mines where in time he became a “Bevin Boy” at Gartshore coal mine. However he did not neglect his music-making and it was during the war that he met Robert Wilson, the man who was to set him on the road to nationwide acclaim and stardom. Opinions vary as to the venue of that first meeting – it was either Dunoon or The Central Hotel in Glasgow. Robert invited Will to play the following Sunday at a cinema in Forfar and such was his impact that he was asked to join the White Heather Group.
Will cut his first 78 single for Parlophone in the 1940s on a Stradella Cooperativa. It was an own composition in a Continental waltz style and at that point in time was unnamed. Asked what it was to be called Will settled for the name of his current girlfriend and the unforgettable “Jacqueline Waltz” entered the Scottish Dance music repertoire. It was the first of two dozen 78s he released on that label and about ten LPs on the Thistle and Pye labels.
It was on tour with Robert Wilson’s White Heather Group that most people first came into contact with the strikingly handsome, clean-cut young Will Starr. Immaculately dressed the kilt or occasionally trews for his many stage appearances he created the image remembered today. Bearing in mind that his music was entirely unaccompanied, Will was still able to captivate both musicians and non-musicians alike with his blistering performances on what had previously been seen only as the humble melodeon.
Another notable feature for the time was that his performances consisted not only of Scottish melodies but dazzling Continental pieces by composers such as Peguri, Vacher and Peyronnin being heard live for the first time such as Four Accordion Solos As Played by Will Starr and published by J. S. Kerr in 1959 namely “Rhein de Musette”, “Les Triolets”, “Martelette” and “Bourrasque”.
Let’s hear though from someone who actually witnessed Will in action, Accordion Club regular and Starr enthusiast Jimmy Divers – “I first heard Will Starr around 1945/6 when I was at the tender age of sixteen. When the word came that the White Heather Group were appearing at a concert in the local Parochial Hall there was a scramble for tickets. Most people were interested in Robert Wilson or Jack Radcliffe but since my father played a 2-row, and my brother a 5-row, our interest lay farther down the bill. An uncle, who also played the 2-row and the dulcimer, had heard Will Starr in The Metropole and The Pavilion and told us not to miss him.
That night he had two spots, each lasting approximately fifteen minutes. His first spot consisted of a set of jigs, ‘The Cuckoo Waltz’, ‘Standchen’ and ‘The Martelette Polka’ and in the second he played ‘The Hills of Perth’, ‘The Jacqueline Waltz’, ‘The Last Post’ and finished with a set of hornpipes, which included ‘The Johnston Hornpipe’, ‘The High Level’ and ‘Harvest Home’.
To say that he was well received would be an understatement. His handling of the 3-row Franchitti was superb. Here was a diatonic player playing solo with a punch and flair not surpassed by any of the multi-couplered single action accordionists of his time.
As any diatonic player will attest, it is very difficult to play forcefully and retain control of the instrument. This was obviously not a problem to Will Starr. His control of the bellows, the air-bar and the keyboard was absolute. He was also the first I ever heard playing Musette Waltzes and Polkas.
After that first concert I was firmly hooked by the music of Will Starr. I heard him perform many times and never left disappointed. He played with such ‘lift’ and verve that you felt compelled to march or dance to the music. I have heard the phrase ‘it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck’ used and abused many times about much lesser mortals but if you want to really experience that feeling then listen to Will Starr playing ‘The Harvest Home Hornpipe’ or ‘The Martelette Polka’ to name just two examples of his outstanding playing. His last record had, for me, the most appropriate of titles The Daddy of Them All.”
As a matter of interest, Jimmy tells me that Franchitti accordions were made in Glasgow and that Will probably developed his interest in Continental music from the 78s of Emily Vacher, a French diatonic accordionist who had lost his left hand in a road accident and who recorded with banjo accompaniment.
It was in 1948 that the Group headed for Toronto in Canada. Their concert was a sell out and the audiences just wouldn’t let them off stage. This date was their only one at that time but word got round, which in turn led to regular tours of Canada and America with South Africa and Hong Kong sometimes thrown in for good measure.
One of his proudest moments was when he was presented with the freedom of Chilliwack in British Columbia during a tour in 1952. He had been asked to attend a civic dinner with other performers from the tour but knew nothing of the honour he was about to receive which created him “Honorary Mayor of Chilliwack”
With the death of Robert Wilson in 1963 following a road accident, Will had to move in new directions. The Royal Clansmen came into being after a spot in a show in Perth Theatre, which led to an opportunity for the group to appear on an episode of “Calum’s Ceilidh” with Calum Kennedy.
The Royal Clansmen
The Royal Clansmen, in turn, were given a show of their own on Grampian TV, which ran for four series and scored highly in the audience popularity ratings. Members of the group, at various times, will include many names well known to readers. They were Will, Alec Finlay, Arthur Spink, Dennis Clancy, George Hill, Billy Leslie, John Crawford, Joss Esplin, Blanche McInnes, Billy Marshall, Ronnie Coburn, Grant Fraser and Joe McBride.
By 1965 Will’s act was taking a new slant as he acted as feed man to Alec Finlay in comedy routines. He had a rather unique voice rather well suited to comedy. He also had a “peculiar” singing voice and this was always good for a laugh when he sang with the Clansmen. Earlier he had made a record for Parlophone singing a song called “Croy Hill”. This is an experience not to be missed if you ever get a chance to hear it.
Will’s last appearance on stage was at the Adam Smith Centre in Kirkcaldy in the summer of 1975 and his last TV appearance was on Grampian’s Hogmanay Show of 1975/6. By then he was seriously ill and his last remaining months were spent at his home in Croy. Despite having travelled the world he had always returned to his home village. He died on 6th March, 1976.
Ronnie Coburn, Will’s manager, fellow artiste and close personal friend says of Will “He was a professional’s professional and in all his working years I never heard him once criticise a fellow artiste – in fact he went out of his way to help and advise any newcomer to the world of showbusiness”. Such a case in point was the then young accordionist from Coatbridge, Billy Marshall.
Will’s funeral on March 10th 1976 was an enormous affair as befitted a man who had contributed so much to Scottish Dance music and to Croy. The funeral cortege, with most of the mourners on foot, stretched for over a mile as it covered the distance between Croy and Kilsyth Cemetery. At the graveside the honour of playing Will’s favourite tune “The Mist covered Mountains”, on Will’s own black Shand Morino, fell to Bill Powrie.
Will’s two black Shand Morinos recently re-entered the music scene when sisters Rose and Teresa decided to sell. The 4-row version with the “dummy” row resides in the huge collection of Northern Ireland’s very own Ken Hopkins while the 3-row is now in the very capable playing hands of Jim MacKay from Inverness. Both of these accordions got an airing at the Button-key Shand Morino Day at the end of January.
My thanks to Ronnie Coburn, who is about to embark on his 41st tour of Canada with “The Breath of Scotland”, and Jimmy Divers for their assistance with information and photographs for this article.
By 1965 Will’s act was taking a new slant as he acted as feed man to Alec Finlay in comedy routines. He had a rather unique voice rather well suited to comedy. He also had a “peculiar” singing voice and this was always good for a laugh when he sang with the Clansmen. Earlier he had made a record for Parlophone singing a song called “Croy Hill”. This is an experience not to be missed if you ever get a chance to hear it.
Will’s last appearance on stage was at the Adam Smith Centre in Kirkcaldy in the summer of 1975 and his last TV appearance was on Grampian’s Hogmanay Show of 1975/6. By then he was seriously ill and his last remaining months were spent at his home in Croy. Despite having travelled the world he had always returned to his home village. He died on 6th March, 1976.
Ronnie Coburn, Will’s manager, fellow artiste and close personal friend says of Will “He was a professional’s professional and in all his working years I never heard him once criticise a fellow artiste – in fact he went out of his way to help and advise any newcomer to the world of showbusiness”. Such a case in point was the then young accordionist from Coatbridge, Billy Marshall.
Will’s funeral on March 10th 1976 was an enormous affair as befitted a man who had contributed so much to Scottish Dance music and to Croy. The funeral cortege, with most of the mourners on foot, stretched for over a mile as it covered the distance between Croy and Kilsyth Cemetery. At the graveside the honour of playing Will’s favourite tune “The Mist covered Mountains”, on Will’s own black Shand Morino, fell to Bill Powrie.
Will’s two black Shand Morinos recently re-entered the music scene when sisters Rose and Teresa decided to sell. The 4-row version with the “dummy” row resides in the huge collection of Northern Ireland’s very own Ken Hopkins while the 3-row is now in the very capable playing hands of Jim MacKay from Inverness. Both of these accordions got an airing at the Button-key Shand Morino Day at the end of January.
My thanks to Ronnie Coburn, who is about to embark on his 41st tour of Canada with “The Breath of Scotland”, and Jimmy Divers for their assistance with information and photographs for this article.
Will Starr & Ronnie Coburn
Twenty five years have now elapsed since Will’s death yet his memory remains as strong as ever, and will do I am quite sure, for as long as Scottish Dance music is played and enjoyed.
Charlie Todd
Box and Fiddle
April 2001
All photographs courtesy of Ronnie Coburn
Born a Starr (Final Part)
by Peter Paterson (of Bellshill)
Meeting Robert Wilson was the start of the name of Will Starr coming to the forefront in the world of Scottish showbusiness. This was around the middle 1940s.
From then on and for around 18 years Robert Wilson and Will Starr were the first names thought of when news of a White Heather Group concert was mentioned.
The late 40s was also the first time I heard of the White Heather Group. It came about this way. I had been very much interested in the country life and as a young lad of 11 I was daft, as the saying goes, on tractors.
I became acquainted with a local farmer who rented the farm Carnbroe Mains, near Bellshill. This farm had two tractors, so I was nearly always at the farm at weekends and any holiday times helping out and hoping for a go on the tractors.
Good Friends
At that particular time the ploughman on the farm was a young man called Bill Patrick. We became good friends. Bill taught me to drive that old standard Fordson tractor and also the new tractor at the time, the petrol/paraffin Fordson Major.
In those days the art of conversation was strong. Bill and I had many talks on various subjects whilst we cairted dung, shawed neeps or carried out the variety of jobs that were plentiful on the farm.
Bill always came back to the same subject – Scottish music and in particular about the new Scottish tenor Robert Wilson. He knew I was interested in Scottish music and he said he would get me a ticket for the next White Heather Group concert the next time it was in our area.
I do not know exactly the year, 46 or 47, but as good as his word Bill produced a ticket for me for the concert in Hamilton Town Hall.
He had managed to get three tickets for the Saturday night show – the White Heather Group in Hamilton. I had never been to a professional show before, so I did not know what to expect.
Saturday at last came round. Bill, his pal, and I headed for Hamilton by bus. In those days cars were not so numerous on the road and none of my friends had one, so public transport was the only way to travel.
On arriving at Hamilton Town Hall, the surrounding area was jam-packed with people heading for the hall. A long queue had formed, so we joined it. This was exciting to me as this was my first experience of a live show and all that went with it.
Whilst waiting to go in I remember seeing a van parked in front of the entrance. On its side was pained a sprig of white heather and, of course, the name White Heather Group.
Seated in the hall after quite a wait the atmosphere was different to anything I had experienced. The hall was full to capacity and I did not know what to expect next.
The house lights dimmed and on stage came a dark-haired young man dressed in a white tuxedo with his three row button box, a very broad accordion with Franchetti printed down the front of it.
As soon as I heard those first notes of ‘The Atholl Highlanders’ I knew this was a new sound. The arrangement and the delivery was unique. This, topped with the stage presence of that young man, has stuck with me over the years.
That night was the first of many enjoyable evenings watching and listening to the sheer magic of Will Starr.
During that concert he never spoke a word. He was shy in those days ; he just played from selection to selection, just acknowledging the applause with a smile.
Same effect
The highlight of this performance was his dedication to the 51st Highland Division ; his arrangement of the Last Post.
I heard him play this at many venues in later years. It always had the same effect. You could hear a pin drop in the silence he commanded as the last notes of the bugle impersonation died away.
After an encore or two, Will Starr concluded his act. The show continued to the top of the bill – the voice of Scotland – Robert Wilson. Robert, in those days, was at his peak, resplendent in his Highland dress he sang 12 songs to finish the show. He was accompanied at the piano by Tammas Fisher.
A great credit to Robert Wilson and his voice was the fact he did not use a microphone at that time, just the pure tones of his voice filling the Hamilton Town Hall.
The show went on quite late owing to the response the artistes received doing encore after encore. We missed the last bus and had to walk the five miles or so to Bellshill. That autumn night, I still remember it well. The three of us trudging along discussing the show and the miles going past without us noticing them. Certainly a night I will always remember.
Will Starr’s success went on steadily in the late 40s. At this time it was the heyday of Scottish music and, of course, Scottish dance bands. Twice a week on the Scottish Home Service they produced programmes of Scottish dance music featuring the prominent bands on the scene. Many times I listened to the master himself, Jimmy Shand, leading his band in strict tempo. These broadcasts were live and I looked forward to each one.
Bobby MacLeod, the master of pipe tunes, was another great bandleader featured. Jim Cameron’s band featured a trumpet player in the line-up. And once I heard a very talented Jimmy Clinkscale and his band on the programme.
Days of the legendary Scottish dance bands are now part of our history and probably the incentive for the younger players of today’s Scottish dance bands.
Radio at that time played a significant part in everyday entertainment. ‘Children’s Hour’ on Scottish radio was the highlight of the day for most children. We had Tammy Troot and a programme called ‘Down at the Mains’. This was a popular show. It was based on a Scottish farming community. The character that came across well was the dominie Archie Grant ; he was a box player. Will Starr played the music for this part and each week his spot was eagerly awaited. Later on, a well known accordionist of today took over that part, Malcolm McLean, a young lad in those days.
The recording career of Will Starr began in the late 40s. His recording company then was Parlophone. His first record was his own composition ‘Jacqueline’. The story goes that Will had just composed this tune and after recording it he was asked what it was called. After discussing the naming of it someone suggested calling it after his girlfriend. So Will’s lass at that time was immortalised forever in music ; her name was Jacqueline.
The young recording engineer on those early 78rpm records was the man who brought The Beatles to fame with their recordings. His name – George Martin.
In those early days the White Heather Group tours of Scotland, England and Ireland kept Will Starr busy, mostly on a one-night stand basis.
This was a very tiring way of making a living in the business, but it certainly was a grounding for learning his stage craft.
Donning the kilt, or occasionally tartan trews, he changed his image to the way most people remember him.
In 1948 the White Heather Group headed out to Canada by cargo passenger ship. They had a booking in Toronto at the Massey Hall. On that tour their party comprised four – Robert Wilson, Tammas Fisher, C. Arthur Mitchell and Will Starr. The Massey Hall was a 700-seater and it was a sell-out.
They took the stage at 8pm and finished at 12.15am. They took encore after encore. The audience just would not let them finish.
That was the only date at that time, but word got around and that led to the regular annual tours of the White Heather Group to Canada and America, tours which are still going to this day.
Will continued his recording career and did quite a lot of recordings for the Canadian market through Robert Wilson’s company Thistle Records. He also did recordings in Canada on the Dominion label.
The halcyon days of the White Heather Group continued into the 60s. Will Starr worked with many Scottish artistes well-known today who owe part of their early success to Robert Wilson and the White Heather Group. Names like Andy Stewart, Sydney Devine, Kenneth McKellar, Ken Swann and McGee to name a few. If you were a Scottish artiste in those days and made the White Heather Group it certainly helped you on your way.
Tradedy struck in 1963 ; Robert Wilson was involved in a car crash and died shortly after ; he was only 53. The WHG continued, headed by other artistes. Will Starr moved on to work with names like Calum Kennedy on his touring shows.
New Media
He then became involved in the new media – television. He did a series or two with Calum Kennedy on a production for Grampian TV called ‘Calum’s Ceilidh’. This was a great success and it brought Will’s music to a wider audience. With the close-ups on the television it showed the fingering and the bellows control he had when playing.
He still continued with his stage performances and still toured Canada, America, South Africa, Hong Kong and as the saying goes – you name it, he’d been there.
He then joined forces with that brilliant artiste Alec Finlay. Alec, with his group The Royal clansmen, built up their own reputation and soon became well known in their own right. They did many tours and did a lot of work in the Aberdeen area.
During this period, Will’s act was taking on a new slant. He was doing feed man to Alec Finlay in comedy routines. Will Starr had a rather unique voice, well suited to comedy. He also had a peculiar singing voice. This was always great for a laugh when he sang with The Clansmen.
Earlier he made a record for Parlophone, singing a song called ‘Croy Hill’. This is an experience not to be missed if you ever get a chance to hear it. This certainly showed another side of Will Starr.
I believed had he lived he would have developed into a great comedian. But who knows?
In the early 70s The Royal Clansmen did a lot of work for Grampian TV. Although only seen in the north it was a great success.
I know of only one video left from Grampian TV featuring Will playing two selections. I saw it recently. In this year’s Accordions Galore Show at Motherwell on 10th November I hope to show this video so the younger generation who never saw Will Starr can get a chance to remedy this and in doing so will see the genius of the man coming through in his performance.
I only knew Will Starr like most of you folks who saw him on stage. I met him about a dozen times over the years in theatre dressing rooms around the country. Will lived a solitary life. He never married. His sister Rose described his way of life as “living out of a suitcase”.
In Canada many years ago this was brought home to me. I had gone to see him in Winnipeg’s Playhouse Theatre. After Will’s first spot on stage he left to a thunderous applause as usual. I went backstage to see him. Jack Radcliff was on the bill and I asked him where Will was. He directed me to a dark corner at the far side of this huge stage. I went over and there, sitting quietly with his own thoughts was the man. Dressed in his kilt and shirt sleeves, smoking a cigarette, no-one else around, he did not see me. He must have had lots of moments like that, proving it’s not all glamour and glitter in showbusiness.
I last saw Will Starr at a concert in Airdrie. It was only a few days before Christmas in 1972. It was only a small hall, the Community Centre. He was there to present certificates to pupils of the James McEwan School of Music. This was their annual concert and presentation night. James McEwan knew Will Starr well and ran a fan club in his honour. Will had come along that night to show his appreciation.
The small hall was filled to bursting point. Will played two half hour spots. He was at his brilliant best. Fortunately I taped the concert. I’m glad I did because it was the last time I was to see and speak to him.
I learned later from Jim McEwan his back gave him a lot of trouble that night.
In 1973 he made his last three LP recordings for the Pye Label. They were named ‘Starr with a Kick’, ‘Starrtyme’ and ‘Will Starr, the Daddy of Them All’. Technically, these recordings are the best he made.
But I still listen to his old 78 records. The solo recordings without frills. His talent and his genius comes through with every note he plays. I have 12 of these records, original 78s, rare recordings of Will Starr.
Will Starr was a different breed of accordion player compared to our abundant wealth of young players today. I hope the influence of Will Starr will be passed on to these young players from their parents and grandparents who knew and admired the man.
Will Starr died from cancer on Saturday, 6th March, 1976. He was buried in Kilsyth Cemetery on Tuesday, 9th March.
I wrote this epitaph when he died :
“The flashing fingers now at rest
The hands that won him fame
His music our inheritance
We will not see his like again”.
To conclude with words from one of our great new accordion talents said on stage at the 1982 Accordions Galore Show :
“Thank God for Will Starr, he paved the way for people like me to earn a living playing the accordion”. – Paddy Neary
Box and Fiddle
December 1984 (Year 8 No 4)
Charlie Todd
Box and Fiddle
April 2001
All photographs courtesy of Ronnie Coburn
Born a Starr (Final Part)
by Peter Paterson (of Bellshill)
Meeting Robert Wilson was the start of the name of Will Starr coming to the forefront in the world of Scottish showbusiness. This was around the middle 1940s.
From then on and for around 18 years Robert Wilson and Will Starr were the first names thought of when news of a White Heather Group concert was mentioned.
The late 40s was also the first time I heard of the White Heather Group. It came about this way. I had been very much interested in the country life and as a young lad of 11 I was daft, as the saying goes, on tractors.
I became acquainted with a local farmer who rented the farm Carnbroe Mains, near Bellshill. This farm had two tractors, so I was nearly always at the farm at weekends and any holiday times helping out and hoping for a go on the tractors.
Good Friends
At that particular time the ploughman on the farm was a young man called Bill Patrick. We became good friends. Bill taught me to drive that old standard Fordson tractor and also the new tractor at the time, the petrol/paraffin Fordson Major.
In those days the art of conversation was strong. Bill and I had many talks on various subjects whilst we cairted dung, shawed neeps or carried out the variety of jobs that were plentiful on the farm.
Bill always came back to the same subject – Scottish music and in particular about the new Scottish tenor Robert Wilson. He knew I was interested in Scottish music and he said he would get me a ticket for the next White Heather Group concert the next time it was in our area.
I do not know exactly the year, 46 or 47, but as good as his word Bill produced a ticket for me for the concert in Hamilton Town Hall.
He had managed to get three tickets for the Saturday night show – the White Heather Group in Hamilton. I had never been to a professional show before, so I did not know what to expect.
Saturday at last came round. Bill, his pal, and I headed for Hamilton by bus. In those days cars were not so numerous on the road and none of my friends had one, so public transport was the only way to travel.
On arriving at Hamilton Town Hall, the surrounding area was jam-packed with people heading for the hall. A long queue had formed, so we joined it. This was exciting to me as this was my first experience of a live show and all that went with it.
Whilst waiting to go in I remember seeing a van parked in front of the entrance. On its side was pained a sprig of white heather and, of course, the name White Heather Group.
Seated in the hall after quite a wait the atmosphere was different to anything I had experienced. The hall was full to capacity and I did not know what to expect next.
The house lights dimmed and on stage came a dark-haired young man dressed in a white tuxedo with his three row button box, a very broad accordion with Franchetti printed down the front of it.
As soon as I heard those first notes of ‘The Atholl Highlanders’ I knew this was a new sound. The arrangement and the delivery was unique. This, topped with the stage presence of that young man, has stuck with me over the years.
That night was the first of many enjoyable evenings watching and listening to the sheer magic of Will Starr.
During that concert he never spoke a word. He was shy in those days ; he just played from selection to selection, just acknowledging the applause with a smile.
Same effect
The highlight of this performance was his dedication to the 51st Highland Division ; his arrangement of the Last Post.
I heard him play this at many venues in later years. It always had the same effect. You could hear a pin drop in the silence he commanded as the last notes of the bugle impersonation died away.
After an encore or two, Will Starr concluded his act. The show continued to the top of the bill – the voice of Scotland – Robert Wilson. Robert, in those days, was at his peak, resplendent in his Highland dress he sang 12 songs to finish the show. He was accompanied at the piano by Tammas Fisher.
A great credit to Robert Wilson and his voice was the fact he did not use a microphone at that time, just the pure tones of his voice filling the Hamilton Town Hall.
The show went on quite late owing to the response the artistes received doing encore after encore. We missed the last bus and had to walk the five miles or so to Bellshill. That autumn night, I still remember it well. The three of us trudging along discussing the show and the miles going past without us noticing them. Certainly a night I will always remember.
Will Starr’s success went on steadily in the late 40s. At this time it was the heyday of Scottish music and, of course, Scottish dance bands. Twice a week on the Scottish Home Service they produced programmes of Scottish dance music featuring the prominent bands on the scene. Many times I listened to the master himself, Jimmy Shand, leading his band in strict tempo. These broadcasts were live and I looked forward to each one.
Bobby MacLeod, the master of pipe tunes, was another great bandleader featured. Jim Cameron’s band featured a trumpet player in the line-up. And once I heard a very talented Jimmy Clinkscale and his band on the programme.
Days of the legendary Scottish dance bands are now part of our history and probably the incentive for the younger players of today’s Scottish dance bands.
Radio at that time played a significant part in everyday entertainment. ‘Children’s Hour’ on Scottish radio was the highlight of the day for most children. We had Tammy Troot and a programme called ‘Down at the Mains’. This was a popular show. It was based on a Scottish farming community. The character that came across well was the dominie Archie Grant ; he was a box player. Will Starr played the music for this part and each week his spot was eagerly awaited. Later on, a well known accordionist of today took over that part, Malcolm McLean, a young lad in those days.
The recording career of Will Starr began in the late 40s. His recording company then was Parlophone. His first record was his own composition ‘Jacqueline’. The story goes that Will had just composed this tune and after recording it he was asked what it was called. After discussing the naming of it someone suggested calling it after his girlfriend. So Will’s lass at that time was immortalised forever in music ; her name was Jacqueline.
The young recording engineer on those early 78rpm records was the man who brought The Beatles to fame with their recordings. His name – George Martin.
In those early days the White Heather Group tours of Scotland, England and Ireland kept Will Starr busy, mostly on a one-night stand basis.
This was a very tiring way of making a living in the business, but it certainly was a grounding for learning his stage craft.
Donning the kilt, or occasionally tartan trews, he changed his image to the way most people remember him.
In 1948 the White Heather Group headed out to Canada by cargo passenger ship. They had a booking in Toronto at the Massey Hall. On that tour their party comprised four – Robert Wilson, Tammas Fisher, C. Arthur Mitchell and Will Starr. The Massey Hall was a 700-seater and it was a sell-out.
They took the stage at 8pm and finished at 12.15am. They took encore after encore. The audience just would not let them finish.
That was the only date at that time, but word got around and that led to the regular annual tours of the White Heather Group to Canada and America, tours which are still going to this day.
Will continued his recording career and did quite a lot of recordings for the Canadian market through Robert Wilson’s company Thistle Records. He also did recordings in Canada on the Dominion label.
The halcyon days of the White Heather Group continued into the 60s. Will Starr worked with many Scottish artistes well-known today who owe part of their early success to Robert Wilson and the White Heather Group. Names like Andy Stewart, Sydney Devine, Kenneth McKellar, Ken Swann and McGee to name a few. If you were a Scottish artiste in those days and made the White Heather Group it certainly helped you on your way.
Tradedy struck in 1963 ; Robert Wilson was involved in a car crash and died shortly after ; he was only 53. The WHG continued, headed by other artistes. Will Starr moved on to work with names like Calum Kennedy on his touring shows.
New Media
He then became involved in the new media – television. He did a series or two with Calum Kennedy on a production for Grampian TV called ‘Calum’s Ceilidh’. This was a great success and it brought Will’s music to a wider audience. With the close-ups on the television it showed the fingering and the bellows control he had when playing.
He still continued with his stage performances and still toured Canada, America, South Africa, Hong Kong and as the saying goes – you name it, he’d been there.
He then joined forces with that brilliant artiste Alec Finlay. Alec, with his group The Royal clansmen, built up their own reputation and soon became well known in their own right. They did many tours and did a lot of work in the Aberdeen area.
During this period, Will’s act was taking on a new slant. He was doing feed man to Alec Finlay in comedy routines. Will Starr had a rather unique voice, well suited to comedy. He also had a peculiar singing voice. This was always great for a laugh when he sang with The Clansmen.
Earlier he made a record for Parlophone, singing a song called ‘Croy Hill’. This is an experience not to be missed if you ever get a chance to hear it. This certainly showed another side of Will Starr.
I believed had he lived he would have developed into a great comedian. But who knows?
In the early 70s The Royal Clansmen did a lot of work for Grampian TV. Although only seen in the north it was a great success.
I know of only one video left from Grampian TV featuring Will playing two selections. I saw it recently. In this year’s Accordions Galore Show at Motherwell on 10th November I hope to show this video so the younger generation who never saw Will Starr can get a chance to remedy this and in doing so will see the genius of the man coming through in his performance.
I only knew Will Starr like most of you folks who saw him on stage. I met him about a dozen times over the years in theatre dressing rooms around the country. Will lived a solitary life. He never married. His sister Rose described his way of life as “living out of a suitcase”.
In Canada many years ago this was brought home to me. I had gone to see him in Winnipeg’s Playhouse Theatre. After Will’s first spot on stage he left to a thunderous applause as usual. I went backstage to see him. Jack Radcliff was on the bill and I asked him where Will was. He directed me to a dark corner at the far side of this huge stage. I went over and there, sitting quietly with his own thoughts was the man. Dressed in his kilt and shirt sleeves, smoking a cigarette, no-one else around, he did not see me. He must have had lots of moments like that, proving it’s not all glamour and glitter in showbusiness.
I last saw Will Starr at a concert in Airdrie. It was only a few days before Christmas in 1972. It was only a small hall, the Community Centre. He was there to present certificates to pupils of the James McEwan School of Music. This was their annual concert and presentation night. James McEwan knew Will Starr well and ran a fan club in his honour. Will had come along that night to show his appreciation.
The small hall was filled to bursting point. Will played two half hour spots. He was at his brilliant best. Fortunately I taped the concert. I’m glad I did because it was the last time I was to see and speak to him.
I learned later from Jim McEwan his back gave him a lot of trouble that night.
In 1973 he made his last three LP recordings for the Pye Label. They were named ‘Starr with a Kick’, ‘Starrtyme’ and ‘Will Starr, the Daddy of Them All’. Technically, these recordings are the best he made.
But I still listen to his old 78 records. The solo recordings without frills. His talent and his genius comes through with every note he plays. I have 12 of these records, original 78s, rare recordings of Will Starr.
Will Starr was a different breed of accordion player compared to our abundant wealth of young players today. I hope the influence of Will Starr will be passed on to these young players from their parents and grandparents who knew and admired the man.
Will Starr died from cancer on Saturday, 6th March, 1976. He was buried in Kilsyth Cemetery on Tuesday, 9th March.
I wrote this epitaph when he died :
“The flashing fingers now at rest
The hands that won him fame
His music our inheritance
We will not see his like again”.
To conclude with words from one of our great new accordion talents said on stage at the 1982 Accordions Galore Show :
“Thank God for Will Starr, he paved the way for people like me to earn a living playing the accordion”. – Paddy Neary
Box and Fiddle
December 1984 (Year 8 No 4)
