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Scotland's Musical Influence On The Greats

Some of the greatest musical stars in the world have been influenced by Scotland, taking a closer look at who produces some interesting connections. Here I focus on a select few: Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Elvis Presley and Eddi Reader.

In the 1970's during a flight to the US Johnny Cash found himself in conversation with a Major Michael Crichton Stewart, hereditary Keeper of Falkirk Palace in Fife, they discussed how the family name Cash originated in Scotland. His interest piqued, Cash employed a genealogist to look into his family roots. It turned out that Cash was indeed of Scottish descent and that his family could be traced back to a clan based in fife around the 12th century to King Malcolm IV of Scotland. Streets in Strathmiglo and Falkland still carry the name Cash, as do Easter Cash, Wester Cash and Cash Farms.

Family ties as well as the link between Cash's style of country music and celtic music inspired him to visit Scotland on several occasions. His daughter Rosanne Cash explains "going back into his celtic past made him realise that this was where he derived his tone of voice, the mournful quality to his music" Rosanne Cash, a talented musician in her own right, talks about Scotland's special place in her own heart "I left Fife feeling spiritually revived, and humbled, and cracked open and connected to my past, to my future, to my family."

Country star Glen Campbell, formerly of the Beach Boys, paid tribute to his Scottish heritage by launching his new album with a song by Scottish favourites Travis. Glen is fiercely proud of his Scots heritage "My dad Wesley Campbell was born in the Borders... I love to visit Scotland because it was my family birthplace and my ancestors all come from there. Scotland gets in your bones - I can feel it every time I go there I've never forgotten those great nights topping the bill at the Glasgow Apollo in the 70s when I'd put on a kilt. I'd have run to the ends of the earth to play there."

This year, Glen celebrates 50 years in the music business. During his career he recorded with the biggest names in the business such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley and sold more than 45 million records.

According to one historian, Elvis Presley's root's can be traced back to the Aberdeenshire village of Lonmay. Allan Morrison, from Greenock found that most of the Presleys living in Scotland in the 18th century were based in Aberdeenshire.

Inhabitants of the Aberdeenshire village in question, Lonmay, are understandably excited, with the head of Aberdeen's tourist board, Ian Dunlop saying " he is an enduring icon and we would be delighted to welcome Elvis fans here to search out his roots". In fact Scotland is the only part of the UK Elvis even visited, when he spent an hour in Prestwick Airport.

Another artist to discover their Scottish roots was singer Eddit Reader of fairground attraction fame . . . I feel in love with that area of Scotland. I wanted to do a traditional album that related to the Celtic and Scottish music that I'd heard bits of throughout my life, from leaving school and going to Kilmarnock folk club, through all the folk clubs in Scotland to busking and street singing.'

When recording her album Peacetime she talks about the influence of Scotland most celebrated poet, Rabbie Burn's 'I got the sense that I was being haunted by the guy, as if he were sitting across from me going "Great!" You sang Ae Fond Kiss!'

Folk music of the story-telling kind Burns would surely have recognised, continues to thrive in Scotland today and its influence can be heard in the work of artists as diverse as Amy Macdonald, KT Tunstall and Phil Cunningham. We can see that Scotland's musical tradition has had an impact on traditional as well as modern music.

About the Author

Anna Murray is Head of Marketing at The Scotland Kilt Company - a family run business based in Edinburgh. Looking to connect with your Scottish roots? contact us to find out about your family tatan and clan items available. We can also help you to measure yourself for a kilt

http://www.thescotlandkiltcompany.co.uk/

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