Andy Stewart was a Scottish singer and entertainer who rose to fame in the 1960s with his patriotic songs and comedic impressions. He was best known for his hit singles “A Scottish Soldier”, “Donald Where’s Your Troosers?” and “Campbeltown Loch”. He also hosted the popular BBC TV show The White Heather Club, which showcased Scottish music and culture. Stewart died of a heart attack at his home in Arbroath, Scotland, on October 11, 1993, the day after performing at a charity concert in Edinburgh. He was 59 years old.
Early Life and Career
Stewart was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on December 30, 1933, the son of a teacher. When he was five years old, his family moved to Perth and then to Arbroath, where he attended Arbroath High School. He showed a talent for imitating people and singing from an early age. He participated in the Arbroath Abbey Pageant when he was 16, playing the role of a knight in shining armour.
He decided to pursue a career in entertainment and studied acting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, where he graduated in 1954. He won the first prize for comedy at the college and also excelled in fencing. He started his professional career as a singer and comedian in variety shows and radio programs. He also served in the Royal Army Service Corps for two years.
Rise to Fame
Stewart’s breakthrough came in 1960, when he recorded “A Scottish Soldier”, a song about a dying soldier who longs to see his homeland again. The song was based on a traditional tune called “The Green Hills of Tyrol”, which Stewart adapted with new lyrics. The song became a huge hit, reaching number one in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and number 17 in the UK. It also sold over a million copies worldwide.
Stewart followed up with other successful songs that celebrated Scottish identity and humour, such as “Come in-Come in”, “Donald Where’s Your Troosers?”, “Campbeltown Loch”, “The Muckin’ O’ Geordie’s Byre”, “The Road to Dundee”, “The Battle’s O’er”, “Take Me Back”, “Tunes of Glory” and “Dr. Finlay”. He also recorded albums of traditional Scottish songs and ballads.
Stewart became a household name in Britain as the host of The White Heather Club, a TV show that featured Scottish music, dancing and comedy. The show ran from 1957 to 1968, both as an annual New Year’s Eve special and as a weekly series. It attracted millions of viewers and made Stewart a national icon.
Stewart also performed on stage, both as a solo act and as part of the White Heather Group, which included other Scottish singers such as Moira Anderson, Kenneth McKellar and Jimmy Shand. He toured extensively around the world, especially in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where he had a large fan base. He also appeared in several films, such as Geordie (1955), The Bridal Path (1959) and Tunes of Glory (1960).
Personal Life and Death
Stewart married Sheila MacLeod in 1956. They had two sons, Ewan and David. Ewan became an actor who appeared in films such as Rob Roy (1995) and Titanic (1997). David became a musician who worked with artists such as Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.
Stewart suffered from health problems throughout his life. He had diabetes, which affected his eyesight and kidneys. He also had several heart attacks, which forced him to reduce his workload and undergo bypass surgery in 1987.
On October 10, 1993, Stewart performed at a gala benefit concert for Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) at Usher Hall in Edinburgh. He received a standing ovation from the audience after singing “A Scottish Soldier”. The next day, he died of a heart attack at his home in Arbroath. He was buried at St Andrew’s Church (Church of Scotland) in Arbroath on October 15.
Stewart’s death was mourned by his fans and fellow entertainers around the world. He was remembered as one of Scotland’s greatest singers and comedians, who brought joy and laughter to millions of people with his songs and impressions. His legacy lives on through his recordings, which are still popular today.
According to Wikipedia, Stewart was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to entertainment in 1976. He also received several honorary degrees from Scottish universities. In 2004, he was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. In 2011, a statue of Stewart was unveiled in Arbroath, near his former home.
