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Alex Beaton

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki





Alex Beaton
File:Alex Beaton 2009 KSW.jpg
Alex Beaton at the 2009 Kentucky Scottish Weekend
Background information
Birth nameAlexander William MacLeod Beaton
Born(1944-07-15)July 15, 1944
Glasgow, Scotland
DiedMay 27, 2022(2022-05-27) (aged 77)
St. Peters, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, musician, tour host
InstrumentsGuitar, harmonica
Associated actsAlasdair Fraser
Websitewww.alexbeaton.com

Alex Beaton (July 15, 1944 – May 27, 2022) was a Scottish, guitar-playing folksinger who performed across the United States and in Canada, and hosted tours to Scotland.[1][2] Beaton established folk singers as a regular feature at highland games in the United States, beginning most notably with the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina.[3]

The Times Scotland noted Beaton's performance style, stating "mixed in with the tender ballads from his homeland were bawdy family favorites such as You Cannae Shove yer Granny aff a Bus and a healthy dose of Glaswegian banter".[1] The Herald Scotland described him as "a tall, distinctive figure with . . . (an) easy-on-the-ear singing style."[4] He had a baritone singing voice.[5]

Beaton released 21 albums on CD and one DVD musical travelogue of Scotland that combined three titles that were previously released on VHS tape. Artists featured on his recordings included Alasdair Fraser and Eric Rigler.[6]

Origins and early work

Beaton was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to a Scottish father and an Irish mother.[7] He began his musical career at the age of 17 as a member of The Cumberland Three, a British folk group in the early 1960s.[1] The Cumberland Three consisted of Beaton, Brian Fogarty, and Leonard Sturrock, with Pete Sayers on the banjo.[8] The group made appearances on radio and television, including on the BBC and ITV television networks.[9] On December 7, 1963 the group performed on the British TV series Hullabaloo![10] The group recorded for Parlophone Records.[11] In 1965 The Cumberland Three disbanded in connection with the end of the folk music revival.[1]

Beaton emigrated to the United States in 1965 where he initially lived in New York state and worked as a singer on TV and in restaurants.[1] For a time he was the head of the entertainment department at Cunning Hartmann and Associates in Troy, New York.[12] Later serving in the US Army, he entertained troops in the Third Army Soldiers' Show and the Seventh US Army Chorus in Germany.[13] After serving 4 years in the army he took up the nightclub scene in 1969.[14] During the 1970s, he re-directed his career toward writing and performing American country music, later winning an accolade at the International American Song Festival Awards in 1974 for a country song.[1] Also in 1974, he moved to the Los Angeles area.[14]

Solo entertainer career

From the mid-1980s, Beaton focused on folk music that was primarily Scottish in origin or subject[15], although his repertoire included songs in the folk music genre that were not purely Scottish (such as by Mark Knopfler, Gordon Lightfoot, and Stan Rogers).[16][17]

By 1990, Beaton had "won acclaim as the featured performer at numerous Highland Games and Scottish cultural events throughout the U.S. and Canada".[18] In 1993 it was reported that Beaton was appearing at several dozen festivals that year.[19] In 1994 it was reported that he gave about 75 performances a year, mostly at Scottish festivals.[20] In 1996 he started hosting guided tours to Scotland.[21] In 1999, he was described as "among the best-known Scottish entertainers" in the United States.[22]

Beaton used a Tony Rice model guitar made by the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, located in Santa Cruz, California.[23] The model is based on Tony Rice's 1935 Martin D-28 (c. 1930s), formerly owned by Clarence White.[24][25]

Honors

In 2012, the "Alex Beaton stage" was dedicated at the Scottish Fest at the OC Fair & Event Center (Costa Mesa, California).[26] There is also a stage named for Beaton at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.[27] In 2022 it was reported that Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) was a fan of Beaton's.[21]

Illness and death

In 2011 Beaton was paralyzed from the neck down due to an accident at home.[4] Two years after his accident, he and his wife, Linda, moved to St. Peters, Missouri, to be nearer to family.[28]

Beaton died at his home on May 27, 2022, with his wife, Linda, by his side.[29][4] He was also survived by two daughters, Alessandra and Catriona.[1]

Discography

Beaton co-founded his own record label, Glenfinnan Music Ltd., with a business partner.[9] He released 21 albums under this label:

  • Alex Beaton Sings of Scotland Forever (1984)[30]
  • Los Angeles Police Pipe Band, Featuring Vocals, Alex Beaton (1984)[31]
  • Daft Ditties, A Collection of Humorous and Tastefully Offensive Songs (1987)[32]
  • On the Beaton Path (1987)[33]
  • The Road to the Isles (1990)[34]
  • Halfway Home (1992)[35]
  • Alex Beaton's Christmas Classics (1994)[36]
  • Beaton's Best (1994)[37]
  • In The Scottish Tradition (1994)[38]
  • Songs of Praise, Pipes of Peace (1994)[39]
  • The Water is Wide (1995)[40]
  • The Scotsman (1996)[41]
  • A Dream of Arran (1998)[42]
  • Kidding Around (1999)[43]
  • I Have Seen the Highlands (2000)[44]
  • Over the Border (2001)[16]
  • Lover's Heart (2004)[45]
  • Beaton's Personal Favorites (2005)[46]
  • The Songs of Robert Burns (2007)[47]
  • From the Sea to the Shore (2010)[17]
  • Live in Concert, Alex Beaton, Alasdair Fraser, & Eric Rigler (2012)[6]

Filmography

Alex Beaton's Scotland, A Musical Travelogue of Scotland in Three Films (2005), is a DVD containing three films previously released on VHS tape:[48]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Alex Beaton obituary: Velvet-voiced singer and guitarist who became a hit among US Scots communities after Beatlemania thwarted his British career". The Times Scotland. June 7, 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. ↑ Stewart, Perry (June 7, 1991). "A salute to the lads, lassies of Scotland". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ↑ DellaFlora, Anthony (May 19, 2000). "Folksinger forged his own place: Alex Beaton created, fills demand at Highland Games". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Leadbetter, Russell. "Obituary: Alex Beaton, Glaswegian folk-singer who found fame in America". The Herald Scotland. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. ↑ Zarate, Eric (June 7, 1991). "Bagpipes to sound call to festival" (A.M.). Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Live in Concert, Alex Beaton, Alasdair Fraser, & Eric Rigler (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 2012. GRCD124.
  7. ↑ Beaton, Alex. "Season's Greetings". Alex Beaton Celtic Music. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  8. ↑ Gatherer, Nigel. "The Cumberland Three". The Traditional Music Pages. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Alex Beaton widely known simply as 'The Scotsman'". The Napa Valley Register. June 21, 1989. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Hullabaloo! Episode #1.10 (TV Episode 1963)". IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Alex Beaton at Bob Burns: Beaton enthralls audiences with rich voice, guitar". The Los Angeles Times (December 25, 1981). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Cunning-Hartmann Unique Area Firm". Times Record. January 28, 1966. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Beaton, Alex. "Musical High Note". Alex Beaton Celtic Music. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Wentworth, Denise. "Scotsman Alex Beaton finds niche in his roots". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (February 1, 1990). Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  15. ↑ Bledsoe, Wayne (May 14, 1989). "Singer Alex Beaton traded his blue jeans for a kilt". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Over the Border (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 2001. GRCD119.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 From the Sea to the Shore (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 2010. GRCD123.
  18. ↑ "30 hours of continuous entertainment". Celtic Classic. The Morning Call. September 23, 1990. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  19. ↑ Sweeney, Mike. "Bag up your pipes and head out to the Scottish Festival". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (June 4, 1993). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  20. ↑ Tharp, Robert. "Scottish pride conveyed in musci". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (February 17, 1994). Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Fotheringham, Ann (July 11, 2022). "Glasgow singer on Beatles label whose fans included Mark Knopfler". The Glasgow Times. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  22. ↑ Nelson, Valerie. "Fun and Now Games at Scottish Festival: Annual event at the Queen Mary includes a medieval athletic competition, complete with kilts". The Los Angeles Times (February 11, 1999). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  23. ↑ Beaton, Alex. "End of Summer". Alex Beaton Celtic Music. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  24. ↑ "Tony Rice". Santa Cruz Guitar Company. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  25. ↑ Dudley, Art. "Tony Rice and his Holy Grail Martin D-28". Fretboard Journal. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  26. ↑ Beaton, Alex. "Back to where it all started – Costa Mesa". Alex Beaton Celtic Music. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  27. ↑ "Musical Stages". Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Inc. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  28. ↑ Beaton, Alex. "Back on the Recovery Road". Alex Beaton Celtic Music. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  29. ↑ "Alex Beaton July 15, 1944 to May 27, 2022". Alex Beaton Celtic Music. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  30. ↑ Alex Beaton Sings of Scotland Forever (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1984. GRCD101.
  31. ↑ Los Angeles Police Pipe Band, Featuring Vocals, Alex Beaton (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1984. GRCD102.
  32. ↑ Daft Ditties, A Collection of Humorous and Tastefully Offensive Songs (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1987. GRCD106.
  33. ↑ On the Beaton Path (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1987. GRCD105.
  34. ↑ The Road to the Isles (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1994. GRCD112.
  35. ↑ Halfway Home (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1992. GRCD107.
  36. ↑ Alex Beaton's Christmas Classics (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1994. GRCD116.
  37. ↑ Beaton's Best (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1994. GRCD113.
  38. ↑ In The Scottish Tradition (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1994. GRCD115.
  39. ↑ Songs of Praise, Pipes of Peace (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1994. GRCD110.
  40. ↑ The Water is Wide (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1995. GRCD117.
  41. ↑ The Scotsman (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1996. GRCD103.
  42. ↑ A Dream of Arran (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1998. GRCD108.
  43. ↑ Kidding Around (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 1999. GRCD118.
  44. ↑ I Have Seen the Highlands (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 2000. GRCD104.
  45. ↑ Lover's Heart (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 2004. GRCD120.
  46. ↑ Beaton's Personal Favorites (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 2005. GRCD121.
  47. ↑ The Songs of Robert Burns (CD). Glenfinnan Music. 2007. GRCD122.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 Alex Beaton's Scotland, A Musical Travelogue of Scotland in Three Films (DVD). Glenfinnan Music. 2005. GMDVD101.

External links



Category:1944 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Country musicians Category:People from Glasgow Category:Scottish folk singers Category:Scottish singer-songwriters



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