Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)

Subject: Willie Beaton R.I.P.
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 08 Jan 09 - 09:48 AM

Sad to report that one of the real characters of the Scottish scene for many, many years, Willie Beaton, has left us, for a better place.

The funeral is to take place in Lochcarron Parish Church, 11am Saturday.

I personally remember Willie most from the early 70s in Sandy Bells when he & Freddie Thompson were stalwarts in the Bells of my formative music years. Those two had so much fun & crack playing music, that you could not help but want to learn to play, too. Willie was also the first person I ever heard sing the slow version of The Wild Rover, way back then.

Willie was one of the Incredible Fling Band & you can check out their music here: The Incredible Fling Band

Here's Willie singing in the Plockton Inn

Willie was certainly one of those larger than life characters & he will be sorely missed!

Thanks for all your inspiration & encouragement Willie.

Subject: RE: Willie Beaton R.I.P.
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Jan 09 - 10:38 AM

I love their band! Really sorry to hear of this. It's so sad.

There is a nice picture of them HERE.

My condolences to his family, friends, and fellow bandmates.

kat

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Jan 09 - 09:38 PM

I am surprised this hasn't had more attention.

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 06:00 AM

Don't worry Kat, it certainly has .... back home in Scotland:

Footstompin'

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: GUEST,Seán Corcoran
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 06:28 AM

Devastated to hear of old friend Willie Beaton's death. Was not even aware that he was ill! He'll be sorely missed by all his friends in Ireland.
Willie was a major figure in the Dublin folk world in the late 1960s where he was influential in the scene around the seminal 95 Club which was founded by Mick Moloney and myself. The 95 was an arena of many developing talents like Paul Brady, Christy Moore, Donal Lunney and Kevin Coneff of the Chieftains [and even a young John Banville who later went on to write novels!!] and also a hotbed of exploration and debate. Willie was right in the thick of it and was involved in all the major developments in the traditional/folk scene in Dublin of the time, including the initiation of the famous Tradition Club which was to run in Slatterys of Capel St for more than twenty years. When he moved back to Scotland he still came over fairly regularly for gigs and festivals.

Fare thee well, Willie! Gie us a big moody afore ye gae!

With fond memories

Seán Corcoran

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: Diva
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 06:44 AM

He will be sorely missed. He was a great character and a wonderful singer and musician. My condolences to his family
Kathy Hobkirk

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: GUEST,Jayne Calderwood
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 07:36 AM

Willies' sessions in the back bar in the Plockton Hotel were the best.A great talent,a funny guy,an immense character.He will be sorely missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jan 09 - 12:09 PM

Sue,

I've never seen such a large turnout for a funeral as their was today in Lochcarron for our dearly missed Willie. Many many hundreds of mourners.

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: GUEST,Sandy
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 08:44 AM

One of the best

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: GUEST,Ronnie Clark
Date: 30 Jan 09 - 05:22 AM

just found this link! I knew Willie very well. When I discovered (on 7th Jan) that he'd died, I wrote a poem to him (in Scots) -

Willie's Seasons

Sharp's a tack an' fu' o' stories
Always up for onything
Quick tae sing an' play his fiddle
This wis Willie in his Spring

In his Summer Willie flourished
Growin' aye frae strength tae strength
Charm an' talent he had plenty
And he stretched them tae their length

Willie never had an Autumn
Harin' a' the place aroon'
Drinkin', dancin', playin', singin'
No' a man for slowin' doon

Everybody has their limit
The price for tae pay what ye've done
A' our tearfu' eyes could see
That Willie's Winter time had come

Knowin' Willie wis oor honour
An' frae him we'll never part
In exchange for whit he gie'd us
Willie lives in a' oor hearts

Ronnie Clark, 7th January, 2009

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 30 Jan 09 - 10:10 AM

what a blast from the past. Sad news. I met Willie at a small folk festival in Scotland in the 1970s. He was "a man you don't meet everyday", so of course I remembered him although I rarely heard anything about him in the past 20+ years, not even when I was studying in Skye.

Subject: RE: Obit: Willie Beaton R.I.P. (Scotland, Jan 2009)
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 30 Jan 09 - 10:59 AM

something I've remembered from the festival where I met Willie Beaton: He was part of an ad-hoc céilidh band of attending musicians who were gathered together to compete in the band competition. It was a largish grouping and quite different from the regular céilidh bands. So although they were good musicians the judges wouldn't know what to make of the grouping. The story I heard was that Willie and his mates did this annually and always got disqualified for playing an Irish tune in their selection.