Alex Beaton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alex Beaton is a Scottish, guitar-playing folksinger who currently makes more than 20 concert appearances annually at various events across the United States (primarily highland games). Beaton appears annually at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina, and the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Atlanta, Georgia, two of the largest highland games events in the United States. Beaton has been called "probably the country's most popular Scottish folk singer."[1] He has a baritone voice.
At many events, Beaton not only serves as a key entertainer, but as the event emcee. Beaton is known for his powerful stage presence and sense of humor. He frequently interacts and jokes with audiences while performing and in-between songs. One of his albums, Daft Ditties, is composed entirely of comedic songs. Beaton is also known for his keen knowledge of Scotland's history.
Beaton has released 19 albums on CD and one DVD musical travelogue of Scotland that pulls together three titles that were previously released on VHS tape. Along with his concert appearances, Beaton usually hosts one or two trips to Scotland per year where he serves as the host and tour guide. In 2008 there will be one tour and it will include an evening performance at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. That tour has sold out, and a waiting list has been started for 2009. Beaton is also planning a tour to Ireland in 2009.
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[edit] Biography
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, to a Scottish father and an Irish mother, Beaton began his musical career as a member of The Cumberland Three, one of Britain's top folk groups in the early 1960s. The Cumberland Three consisted of Beaton, Brian Fogarty, and Leonard Sturrock, with Pete Sayers on the banjo.[2] Beaton immigrated to the United States in 1965. He served in the U.S. Army, entertaining troops in the Third Army Soldiers' Show and the Seventh U.S. Army Chorus in Germany. He launched his solo career in New York in 1968. During the 1970s, he re-directed his career toward writing and performing American country music. He had songs of that genre that won the International American Song Festival Awards in 1974.[3]
Since the early 1980s, Beaton has focused on folk music that is primarily Scottish in origin or subject, although his repertoire includes songs in the folk music genre that are not purely Scottish (Stan Rogers music for example). Featured on his recordings are artists such as Eric Rigler and Alasdair Fraser.
Little is known about his personal life other than he is a cancer survivor and, after spending more than three decades in the Los Angeles area, he currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee where he is very happy and feels at home.
[edit] Discography
Beaton is the founder and president of his own record label—Glenfinnan Music Ltd. He has released 19 albums under this label (all titles are available on CD).
| Album Title | Glenfinnan Music Product Number | Copyright Date |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Beaton Sings of Scotland Forever | GR 101 CD | 1984 |
| Los Angeles Police Pipe Band, Featuring Vocals, Alex Beaton | GR 102 CD | 1984 |
| The Scotsman | GR 103 CD | 1996 |
| I Have Seen the Highlands | GR 104 CD | 2000 |
| On the Beaton Path | GR 105 CD | 1987 |
| Alex Beaton's Daft Ditties, A Collection of Humorous and Tastefully Offensive Songs | GR 106 CD | 1987 |
| Halfway Home | GR 107 CD | 1992 |
| A Dream of Arran | GR 108 CD | 1998 |
| Songs of Praise, Pipes of Peace | GR 110 CD | 1994 |
| The Road to the Isles | GR 112 CD | 1990 |
| Beaton's Best | GR 113 CD | 1994 |
| In The Scottish Tradition | GR 115 CD | 1994 |
| Alex Beaton's Christmas Classics | GR 116 CD | 1994 |
| The Water is Wide | GR 117 CD | 1995 |
| Kidding Around | GR 118 CD | 1999 |
| Over the Border | GR 119 CD | 2001 |
| Lover's Heart | GR 120 CD | 2004 |
| Beaton's Personal Favorites | GR 121 CD | 2006 |
| The Songs of Robert Burns | GR 122 CD | 2007 |
| To be named seafaring album (currently in pre-production) | To be announced | 2008 |
[edit] Filmography
- Alex Beaton's Scotland, A Musical Travelogue of Scotland in Three Films (GR DVD 101), includes three films previously released on VHS tape:
- Going Home (1989) — "Alex's Going Home, magically transports you - in this stunning musical and video production - to such historic and majestic locales as Glencoe, Culloden, Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, Glenfinnan, Bannockburn and the Isle of Skye" (from DVD jacket).
- I Belong to Glasgow (1990) — "Let Alex personally lead you on an enchanted stroll through his beloved birthplace in I Belong to Glasgow. Share in the humor, the songs, and the history. Take a trip down the river Clyde and see Glasgow from its industrious past through its rich and colorful present" (from DVD jacket).
- On The Castle Trail (1994) — "...travel back in time as Alex takes you on a mysterious exploration of Scotland's rich history. With castles as guideposts, On The Castle Trail is a magic carpet ride of sheer exhilaration. You'll visit the picturesque ruins of Caerlaverock and the forbidding strongholds of Hermitage and Dunstaffnage. See the remarkable fairytale retreats of Glamis and Eilean Donan; and the dramatic clifftop fortress of Dunnottar and the world-famous Edinburgh Castle. You'll came face-to-face with knights in shining armor and warring clan chiefs. Let your imagination run wild!" (from DVD jacket).
[edit] Guitar
Beaton uses a Tony Rice model guitar made by the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, located in Santa Cruz, California. That model is based on Tony Rice's D-28 (circa 1930s), formerly owned by Clarence White.
[edit] Interesting Facts
- Beaton's full name is Alexander William MacLeod Beaton.
- His daughters, Alessandra (Ali) and Catriona (Catie), perform on his Kidding Around album.
- Beaton also plays the harmonica.
- Beaton sometimes refers to himself as "Alec" during live shows.
- In times of whimsy, Beaton has been known to perform "On the Commode Again," a humorous take on Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again."
- Beaton regularly (every August) hosts one or two tours on a 10-day trip to his beloved homeland. It sells out quickly and is so popular that several of his tour group members have signed up to go more than once.
[edit] References
- ^ Knippenberg, Jim. [1] "Party 'n' play like the Scots, Kentucky Scottish Weekend takes over state park in Carrolton." Accessed 2007-06-24.
- ^ Gatherer, Nigel. [2] "The Cumberland Three." Accessed 2007-05-16.
- ^ Tager, Miles.[3] "Top act: Alex Beaton to showcase Scottish folk heritage in series of appearances." Accessed 2007-07-22.
