Lasting legacy of a true talent

Dundee has always had a thriving music scene with many famous and successful bands having links with the city. There has always been a plethora of live bands and acts for people to enjoy and many of these musicians have gone on to worldwide fame.

The Average White Band were formed in 1972 by Dundonians Alan Gorrie and Malcolm “Molly” Duncan, with Onnie McIntyre, Michael Rosen, Roger Ball, and Robbie McIntosh completing the original line-up.

Both Duncan and Ball – affectionately known as the Dundee Horns – were students at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.

When the band won a coveted spot backing Eric Clapton in 1973 they were well on the route to stardom.

In 1975 the single Pick Up The Pieces reached No 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold more than one million copies.

The band has continued recording and touring since but, these days, only Gorrie and McIntyre are original members of the band.

As well as bands, there have been several widely-respected solo artists from the city including my uncle, Michael Marra, known as “the Bard of Dundee”.

An honorary graduate of the university, his songwriting was rooted in Scottish life and he found an audience within and beyond the folk music scene, which led to him working as a support musician for such performers as Van Morrison, the Proclaimers, Barbara Dickson and Deacon Blue.

His song Hermless was jokingly suggested as a potential Scottish national anthem.

While mainly known as a songwriter, he also worked extensively in theatre, radio and television. Marra wrote original music and worked as an actor and musical director in theatre.

Among the various productions he was involved with, he wrote and performed in the show In Flagrant Delicht which was written in collaboration with playwright and Scottish Makar Liz Lochhead.

Marra’s children, Alice and Matthew, are also musicians and members of the Hazey Janes. Michael Marra died in 2012 but his legacy lives on.