Traditional music honour is a 'big surprise' for Addie
Wick musician Addie Harper Junior says it came as a "big surprise" to be inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.
The accolade comes as recognition of his many years as a performer, tutor and record producer.
The latest inductees will be featured in a two-part TV show to be broadcast on BBC Alba tonight and tomorrow.
Addie (56) is a renowned fiddler, accordionist and guitarist who has taught hundreds of pupils.
"It was a big surprise," he said. "This year has not been good for many, many people.
"I'm delighted with the award – there are probably loads of people who deserve it more. Sometimes it takes a while before someone gets recognised for what they are trying to do."
Addie's first public appearance came at the age of five at a concert in Tannach.
"I think it was a Christmas party," he recalled. "I was scared to go up. I could knock out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or some tune like that on the mouth organ."
Soon after he began attending violin lessons. Addie’s father, the late Addie Harper Senior, led the Wick Scottish Dance Band and then Addie Harper and the Wick Band which would include Addie Junior and his mother Isobel on accordion and piano respectively.
He has played with a number of bands and collaborated with a multitude of other top names on the Scottish traditional music scene, including accordionist Gordon Pattullo, fiddler Gordon Gunn and "ceilidh king" Fergie MacDonald.
"I've produced and recorded a lot of Fergie's albums over the past 20 years," Addie explained. "I've done his latest one that's just out and I do a bit of work with Brandon McPhee, which I really enjoy doing – he is great to work with."
Addie's band, along with the North Coast Fiddlers – comprising some of his talented pupils – will be among the guests in Brandon's New Year concert to be live-streamed on Hogmanay. Addie is also backing Brandon on his Christmas online show on December 20.
He regrets that he will not be performing with local band Blue Ridge, who lost one of their members this year.
"I really enjoyed playing with Blue Ridge and I wish them all the best – I'll miss playing with them this New Year, and I hope sometime in the future we'll get some tunes again," Addie said.
He hopes to perform abroad with singer/songwriter Geordie Jack in 2021, depending on Covid guidelines.
Addie began teaching nearly 40 years ago, having been advised to do so by his father.
"It would be safe to say I've had hundreds of pupils over the years and there will be more than 50 on the books just now," he said.
The Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame is run by Hands Up for Trad and new members are added annually.
The 2020 Hall of Fame inductees, along with Addie, are Fred Morrison, Gary West, Jim Reid, Johnny Cunningham, Margaret Stewart, Nicol McLaren, Norman Kennedy, Old Blind Dogs, The Easy Club and Johnny MacLeod.
Inductees will feature in the two-part programme Na Trads 2020 on BBC Alba (Friday and Saturday, 9pm both nights). It is supported by partners MG Alba and Fèisean nan Gàidheal.
Arthur Cormack, chief executive of Fèisean nan Gàidheal, said: “We have supported the Hall of Fame for a number of years as Fèisean nan Gàidheal believes in recognising the immense contribution to our culture of some of our most treasured and revered performers.
"Our thanks to this year’s inductees and congratulations to them and their families.”
Hands Up for Trad’s founder and creative director Simon Thoumire said: “We are so lucky in Scotland to have so many amazing performers who have made our music what it is today. It is brilliant to welcome these 2020 inductees into a hall which is full of people Scotland can’t do without.”
