Industry Directory
Kenneth McKellar
Artists | Light Music | Male Vocal
Born June 23, 1927, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Scottish tenor.
He studied Forestry at Aberdeen University, after graduation working for the Scottish Forestry Commission.
He later trained at the Royal College of Music as an opera singer. He did not enjoy his time with the Carl Rosa Opera Company and left them to pursue a career singing traditional Scottish songs and other works. His albums of the songs of Robert Burns (now digitised) are considered by musicologists to be definitive interpretations.
In 1964 he toured New Zealand. On many occasions in the 60s and 70s he appeared on the BBC TV Hogmanay celebration programme, alongside Jimmy Shand and Andy Stewart (musician).
In 1966 BBC Television selected Kenneth to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg. He sang five titles from which viewers selected A Man Without Love as the Eurovision entry. Unfortunately it was not to everyone's taste and was placed ninth.
On December 31st 1973, the first Scottish commercial radio station Radio Clyde began broadcasting to Glasgow. The first record they played was The Song of the Clyde sung by Kenneth McKellar.
McKellar made the majority of his recordings on the Decca Records label. He also recorded several classical works, including Handel's Messiah alongside Joan Sutherland in a performance conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.
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Artists | Classical | Literary Sources
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