Latest news with #FolkAwards
Glasgow Times
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Musicians back Scottish folk legend's new bid to own his life's work
Dick Gaughan, born in Glasgow and raised in Leith, has been hailed as one of Scotland's leading folk singer-songwriters with a career that spanned more than four decades. Gaughan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from BBC Radio 2's Folk Awards ceremony in 2010 and was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame a year prior, before a stroke forced him into retirement in 2016. READ MORE: Council respond to concerns over missing alpacas at Glasgow Children's Farm READ MORE: This is the plan for this iconic Glasgow city centre building Despite this long-standing success, Gaughan's music is largely unavailable for purchase or streaming as the rights are currently held by an entity called Celtic Music. As a result, a number of acclaimed Scottish folk musicians have backed a crowdfunding campaign to help the singer-songwriter with legal fees as he attempts to win back the rights to his music. A GoFundMe was set up last week by Colin Harper, a music historian and record label consultant on archive releases and box sets, and has already secured more than £22,000 in donations at the time of writing. In a video discussing the campaign, Harper said: 'This is a crowdfunding appeal to raise legal fees to test Celtic Music's claims to the rights of seven Dick Gaughan albums, solo and collaborative, spanning 1972 to 1995. 'It's not a witch-hunt of personalities living or dead. It's simply a matter of applying the law and, we hope, bringing the music back home to the man who made it and then sharing it far and wide.' Earlier this year, Harper ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to create an eight-disk box set of a "lost" era of Gaughan's music, which is set to be released next January. The cover of the forthcoming box set, R/evolution (Image: Dave Peabody)Gaughan, who is now legally blind, collaborated with Harper on the project. Speaking to the Scotsman, Harper said: 'I found myself thinking about this late last year. "It felt alarming – upsetting, in fact – that such an incredible artist who had seemed to be a powerful, righteous, invincible performer when I saw him at concerts in the '80s and '90s had faded almost completely from view. I had to do something about it.' Celtic Music, which does not exist on Companies House, was founded by Dave Bulmer and his brother-in-law, Nick Sharpley, and operated as a record label from 1972. Its last release was in 2007. Bulmer passed away in 2013, with Sharpley left in charge of Celtic Music and its related companies. Several Scottish folk musicians have backed the initiative, including Kathryn Tickell, Patsy Seddon of super-group Clan Alba and renowned fiddler Aly Bain. Speaking to The National, Bain – who has been friends with and worked alongside Gaughan since the early seventies – explained why he has backed the campaign. 'It's not even about my friendship with Dick – it's just wrong what has been done with these recordings', he said. 'These recordings should never be kept away. They should be out there, and Dick should be able to sell them. 'I just think it's one of these legal things that we have to get sorted out, because it's just not right that all these songs of his are just kept in mothballs. Nobody can hear them. 'If anything, Dick has become even more appreciated in his old age, so it's important that he's able to produce these things and put them on the market again because they're great songs.' Gaughan hopes the campaign will help other artists of his generation, who have "felt their own legacies to have been affected by a record label's claimed ownership of their works". Tickell told The National: 'Dick Gaughan is one of the absolute greats of the folk music world. I grew up listening to his music and it's impossible to overstate just how influential and inspirational he is. 'This crowdfunder is for legal fees to enable him to fight to retrieve several iconic recordings. 'We hope that the end result will bring some much-needed income, since Dick is no longer able to perform due to disability, as well as making these recordings more accessible for people to enjoy.' Organisers say any extra funds left over from the campaign will be donated to charity Help Musicians, which aims to help artists at all levels during "times of crisis, but also at times of opportunity". The GoFundMe for Gaughan's legal fees is still active and those wishing to do so can donate here. Neil Sharpley was approached for comment.
The National
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Musicians back folk legend's new bid to own his life's work
Dick Gaughan, born in Glasgow and raised in Leith, has been hailed as one of Scotland's leading folk singer-songwriters with a career that spanned more than four decades. Gaughan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from BBC Radio 2's Folk Awards ceremony in 2010 and was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame a year prior, before a stroke forced him into retirement in 2016. READ MORE: Canadian duo to bring twist on trad music to Speyfest Despite this long-standing success, Gaughan's music is largely unavailable for purchase or streaming as the rights are currently held by an entity called Celtic Music. As a result, a number of acclaimed Scottish folk musicians have backed a crowdfunding campaign to help the singer-songwriter with legal fees as he attempts to win back the rights to his music. A GoFundMe was set up last week by Colin Harper, a music historian and record label consultant on archive releases and box sets, and has already acquired more than £22,000 in donations at the time of writing. In a video discussing the campaign, Harper said: 'This is a crowdfunding appeal to raise legal fees to test Celtic Music's claims to the rights of seven Dick Gaughan albums, solo and collaborative, spanning 1972 to 1995. 'It's not a witch-hunt of personalities living or dead. It's simply a matter of applying the law and, we hope, bringing the music back home to the man who made it and then sharing it far and wide.' Earlier this year, Harper ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to create an eight-disk box set of a "lost" era of Gaughan's music, which is set to be released next January. The cover of the forthcoming box set, R/evolution (Image: Dave Peabody)Gaughan, who is now legally blind, collaborated with Harper on the project. Speaking to the Scotsman, Harper said: 'I found myself thinking about this late last year. "It felt alarming – upsetting, in fact – that such an incredible artist who had seemed to be a powerful, righteous, invincible performer when I saw him at concerts in the '80s and '90s had faded almost completely from view. I had to do something about it.' READ MORE: Fund set up in honour of young Scottish DJ reaches £15k in just two months Celtic Music, which does not exist on Companies House, was founded by Dave Bulmer and his brother-in-law, Nick Sharpley, and operated as a record label from 1972. Its last release was in 2007. Bulmer passed away in 2013, with Sharpley left in charge of Celtic Music and its related companies. Several Scottish folk musicians have backed the initiative, including Kathryn Tickell, Patsy Seddon of super-group Clan Alba and renowned fiddler Aly Bain. Speaking to The National, Bain – who has been friends with and worked alongside Gaughan since the early seventies – explained why he has backed the campaign. 'It's not even about my friendship with Dick – it's just wrong what has been done with these recordings', he said. 'These recordings should never be kept away. They should be out there, and Dick should be able to sell them. 'I just think it's one of these legal things that we have to get sorted out, because it's just not right that all these songs of his are just kept in mothballs. Nobody can hear them. 'If anything, Dick has become even more appreciated in his old age, so it's important that he's able to produce these things and put them on the market again because they're great songs.' Gaughan hopes the campaign will help other artists of his generation, who have "felt their own legacies to have been affected by a record label's claimed ownership of their works". READ MORE: 'I'll be busy washing my hair', Stephen Flynn said of upcoming Trump visit Tickell told The National: 'Dick Gaughan is one of the absolute greats of the folk music world. I grew up listening to his music and it's impossible to overstate just how influential and inspirational he is. 'This crowdfunder is for legal fees to enable him to fight to retrieve several iconic recordings. 'We hope that the end result will bring some much-needed income, since Dick is no longer able to perform due to disability, as well as making these recordings more accessible for people to enjoy.' Organisers say any extra funds left over from the campaign will be donated to charity Help Musicians, which aims to help artists at all levels during "times of crisis, but also at times of opportunity". The GoFundMe for Gaughan's legal fees is still active and those wishing to do so can donate here. Neil Sharpley was approached for comment.
Extra.ie
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
President shares special birthday message for Christy Moore: 'Through your music, you have lent voice to those often unheard'
'As you celebrate this wonderful milestone, may I express my deep gratitude for your valuable contributions to music, to our shared cultural heritage, for the decades of service, too, that you have offered to the building of a just, equal and inclusive Republic…' President Michael D. Higgins shared a heartfelt message with Christy Moore, celebrating the legendary Irish artist's 80th birthday yesterday. In the letter, shared online, the President notes that Christy's 'voice has long been one of the most distinctive and enduring in Irish life, one that speaks to universal human experiences, of resilience, kindness, and empathy, reflecting a rare talent, but more than that, a deeply humane spirit.' He goes on to thank the iconic singer for 'the decades of service' that he has offered 'to the building of a just, equal and inclusive Republic.' Christy, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2021 and is set to be celebrated in an upcoming exhibition from the Irish Traditional Music Archive, released his latest album, A Terrible Beauty, last year. The project was named Hot Press's top folk album of 2024, and also scored the singer his first No.1 on the Irish Albums Chart in seven years. Through the 'Christy Chat' part of his website, Christy previously reflected on a visit to Ras and Achtarn to take part in the President's special Glaoch programme in 2013. 'Encounters with Michael D over many decades have always been memorable,' Christy wrote at the time. 'Meeting him again as the elected President of Ireland was a particular pleasure. There was a feeling of having a true 'man of the people' in ras an achtarin.' Read the President's full message to Christy Moore below: A chara, Christy, Agus t ag danamh ceiliradh ar do 80 bhreithl, is mian liom fin agus Saidhbhn comhghairdeas chro a sheoladh duit ar an cid suntasach seo. As you mark your 80th birthday, Sabina and I would like to extend to you our heartfelt congratulations and warmest wishes on this most special of milestones. Christy, your voice has long been one of the most distinctive and enduring in Irish life, one that speaks to universal human experiences of resilience, kindness, and empathy, reflecting a rare talent, but more than that, a deeply humane spirit. Through your music, you have lent a voice to those often unheard, bringing to the public discourse the concerns, hopes, and struggles of ordinary people with extraordinary empathy and dignity. From your early days with Planxty to your evocative solo work, your musical legacy, including such memorable songs as 'Ride On', 'Viva la Quinta Brigada', and 'Lisdoonvarna', has ensured your outstanding contribution to Ireland's cultural heritage. Drawing from the deep well of our folk traditions while never ceasing to engage with the evolving currents of social change, your work reminds us that the arts, and music in particular, are not simply forms of frivolous entertainment, but play an important role as vital expressions of our shared humanity, of our griefs and joys. It is a gift to Ireland that you have remained, throughout your career, so firmly rooted in the values of community, equality and solidarity, constantly exhibiting such a profound sense of justice. As you celebrate this wonderful milestone, may I express my deep gratitude for your valuable contributions to music, to our shared cultural heritage, for the decades of service, too, that you have offered to the building of a just, equal and inclusive Republic. Ar mo shon fin agus Saidhbhn, ba mhaith linn comhghairdeas chro agus r ndea-ghuonna a sheoladh duit ar an cid suntasach seo, agus guonn muid gach rath ort sa todhcha. Sabina joins me in sending you every good wish on this special day. May it be a time of well-deserved celebration, surrounded by those who have travelled with you throughout your remarkable journey.
