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Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Kenneth McKellar
Person · male · United Kingdom · Paisley · born 1927 · died 2010 · recording since 1966
Scottish tenor (1927–2010)
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Also known as ケネス・マッケラー
Timeline
13 events▣ Album 10◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1920s
1960s
· Debut release
Debut release: A Man Without Love
First documented Single in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1990s
2000s
2010s
Biography
English biography784 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1378509470
Biography
Kenneth McKellar (23 June 1927 – 9 April 2010) was a Scottish tenor.
Career
McKellar studied forestry at the University of Aberdeen and after graduating he worked 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.
From 1959 to 1977 he frequently toured the United States and Canada with other Scottish entertainers such as Helen McArthur, often appearing in small local venues.
From 1957 he starred each year in innovative pantomimes by Howard & Wyndham Ltd notably at their Alhambra Theatre Glasgow. In 1958–59 he played Jacob Bray in a successful revival of 'Old Chelsea' by Richard Tauber, along with Vanessa Lee and Peter Graves, which opened in Glasgow and then toured. For a decade from 1960 he starred as Jamie in the new pantomimes devised around him, starting with A Wish For Jamie, followed by A Love For Jamie, which ran at the Alhambra in each of five years, accompanied by Rikki Fulton, and moved after to Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Newcastle. He described these years as the most fulfilling of his stage life outside his international recording career.
McKellar toured New Zealand in 1964. On many occasions in the 1960s and 1970s he appeared on the BBC Television Hogmanay celebration programme, alongside Jimmy Shand, Andy Stewart and Moira Anderson. He also made numerous appearances on the popular White Heather Club television series (1959–1968), hosted by Andy Stewart. His last Hogmanay Show appearance was on STV in 1991.
In 1965, the BBC selected McKellar to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg. He sang five titles from which viewers selected "A Man Without LoveA Man Without LoveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAA Man Without Love3:32BAs Long As The Sun Shines2:12" as the 1966 entry. According to the author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor's The Eurovision Song Contest – The Official History, the Scottish tenor – who had changed into a kilt at the last moment – drew gasps from the audience when he appeared on stage. The song was placed ninth of the eighteen entries, making it the least successful UK placing in the contest until 1978. McKellar received scores from only two countries. The Irish jury gave the UK song top marks, one of only two occasions the Irish have done so in Eurovision history.
"A Man Without Love" peaked at #30 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1966. His albums The World of Kenneth McKellar (1969), and Eco Di Napoli (1970), had a total of ten weeks presence in the UK Albums Chart. McKellar starred in a BBC TV film in 1969 Eco Di Napoli on which the album was based. This was filmed in Italy, with McKellar singing in Italian and Neapolitan.
He also recorded an album in Afrikaans, entitled Kuier By Ons, which was released just before his tour of South Africa in October 1970.
On 31 December 1973, the first Scottish commercial radio station Radio Clyde began broadcasting to Glasgow. The first record they played was "Song of the Clyde" sung by Kenneth McKellar. The same recording featured over the opening titles of the 1963 film Billy Liar.
McKellar lived in Lenzie, Glasgow in a house called "Machrie Mhor".
Outside music, McKellar wrote a sketch, involving a blindfolded man trying to identify the name of the celebrity beating him up, which was performed by the Monty Python team at The Secret Policeman's Ball. This was the only time they performed a sketch written by a non-member.
McKellar made most 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. After he left Decca in the 1970s he recorded from 1983 to 1996 for Lismor records, recording several albums, including Songs of the Jacobite Risings, before retiring in the late 1990s.
McKellar also recorded the musical Kismet with Robert Merrill. He was also notable for his recordings of Gaelic songs in translation such as the Songs of the Hebrides arrangements by Marjory Kennedy-Fraser.
In 1992 McKellar was offered an OBE, but declined it. During his lifetime he chose not to make public the news of the offer, nor his reasons for refusing it.
Death
McKellar died of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 82, at his daughter's home in South Lake Tahoe in the United States, on 9 April 2010. His funeral was in Paisley.
Selected discography
Kenneth McKellar 1958 Decca LK 4203
Roamin' In The Gloamin' 1959 Decca LK 4295
Songs of the Outer Hebrides 1961 Decca Lk 4399
Scottish Saturday Night 1962 Decca SKL 4502
Songs of Ireland 1964 TW 91321
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 17 | 85.9th |
| Studio albums | 11 | 91.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 13 | 89.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 44 | 84.8th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (17 release groups · 11 studio albums)
Albums · 11
1991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 17 tracks · 52:26
1Overture3:462Sands of Time2:213Rhymes Have I2:364Fate2:135Baubles bangles and beads4:006Not Since Ninevah3:077Stranger in Paradise4:538He's in Love2:299Gesticulate4:4710Night of My Nights2:4311Was I Wazir2:1512Rahadlakum4:3213And This Is My Beloved4:5314The Olive Tree2:4215Zubbediya1:1616Samari's Dance1:1817Finale - Act 22:351991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 47 tracks · 3:18:05
Disc 11Messiah: No. 1 - Symphony5:112Messiah: No. 2 Recitative "Comfort ye my people"3:383Messiah: No. 3 - Air "Every valley shall be exalted"3:344Messiah: No. 4 Chorus "And the glory of the Lord"3:125Messiah: No. 5 - Recitative "Ghus saith the Lord"2:026Messiah: No. 6 - Air "But who may abide"5:027Messiah: No. 7 - Chorus "And he shall purify"2:458Messiah: No. 8 Recitative "Behold, a virgin shall conceive"/Air "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion"7:229Messiah: No. 10 - Recitative "For behold, darkness shall cover the earth"2:3210Messiah: No. 11 - Air "The people that walked in darkness"4:4911Messiah: No. 12 - Chorus "For unto us a child is born"4:3112Messiah: No. 13 Pifa3:3913Messiah: No. 14 - 16 Recitative "there were shepherds.." "And lo the angel..." " And suddenly there was.."2:0414Messiah: No. 17 - Chorus "Glory to God in the highest"2:1115Messiah: No. 18 - Air "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion"4:4116Messiah: No. 19 - 20 - Recitative and Duet " Then shall the eyes..He shall feed his floch"6:4617Messiah: No. 21 - Chorus "His yoke is easy"2:38Disc 21Messiah: No. 22 - Chorus "Behold the Lamb of God"3:422Messiah: No. 23 - Air "He was despised"12:233Messiah: No. 24 - Chorus "Surely he hath borne our griefs"2:294Messiah: No. 25 - Chorus "And with his stripes"2:345Messiah: No. 26 - Chorus "All we like sheep"4:256Messiah: No. 27/28 - Recitative & Chorus "All they that see him.. He trusted in God"3:147Messiah: No. 29 - Recitative "Thy rebuke hath broken his heart"2:248Messiah: No. 30 - Arioso "Behold and see"1:479Messiah: No. 31/32 - Recitative and Air "He was cut off..But thour didst not leave"2:5910Messiah: No. 33 - Chorus "lift up your heads"3:3111Messiah: No 34/35 - Recitative & Chorus "unto which of the angels...Let all the angels of God"2:0812Messiah: No. 36 - Air "Thou art gone up on high"3:0313Messiah: No. 37 - Chorus "The Lord gave the word"1:4814Messiah: No. 38 - Air "How beauriful are the feet"2:3915Messiah: No. 39 - Chorus "Their sound is gone out"1:4316Messiah: No. 40 - Air "Why do the nations"2:5417Messiah: No. 41 - Chorus "Let us break their bonds"1:5018Messiah: No. 42/43 Recitative & Air "He that dwelleth in heaven..Thou shalt break them"2:2719Messiah: No. 44 - Chorus "Hallelujah"4:41Disc 31Messiah: No 45 Air "I know that my Redeemer liveth"7:112Messiah: No 46 Chorus "Since by man came death"2:213Messiah: No 47-48 Recitative & Air "Behold, I tell you a mystery...The trumpet shall sound"9:114Messiah: No 49-51 Recitative, Duet & Chorus "Then shall be brought to pass...O Death...But thanks be"4:305Messiah: No 52 Air "If God be for us"4:526Messiah: No 53 Chorus "Worthy is the Lamb"9:297Jephtha: Aria "Deeper, and deeper still"8:398Judas Maccabaeus: Aria "Thanks to my brethren"7:239Judas Maccabaeus: Aria "My arms!"4:0310Samson: Aria "With plaintive note and am'rous moan"5:1311Samson: Aria "Let the bright Seraphim in burning row"5:551993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 41:02
1The De'il's Awa' Wi' the Exciseman1:132The Bonnie Lass O' Ballochmyle3:243There Was a Lad2:364Gae Bring Tae Me A Pint O' Wine2:415The Birks O' Aberfeldy2:596John Anderson, My Jo3:067Green Grow the Rashes1:348A Man's a Man For A' That3:049I'll Aye Ca' in by Yon Toon1:4110Mary Morison3:4811Kenmure's on and Away2:2512Afton Water3:2613O' My Luv's Like a Red, Red Rose3:4614My Heart's in the Highlands2:4415Scots Wha Ha'e2:351993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 41:02
1The De'il's Awa' Wi' the Exciseman1:132The Bonnie Lass O' Ballochmyle3:243There Was a Lad2:364Gae Bring Tae Me A Pint O' Wine2:415The Birks O' Aberfeldy2:596John Anderson, My Jo3:067Green Grow the Rashes1:348A Man's a Man For A' That3:049I'll Aye Ca' in by Yon Toon1:4110Mary Morison3:4811Kenmure's on and Away2:2512Afton Water3:2613O' My Luv's Like a Red, Red Rose3:4614My Heart's in the Highlands2:4415Scots Wha Ha'e2:351994 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 54:02
1The Gallus Marching Medley3:412The West Highland Way3:213Loch Lomond3:584Glencoe3:395Eriskay Love Lilt3:286The Midges3:437The Bluebells Of Scotland3:168Skye Boat Song3:519Will Ye No' Come Back Again?3:1310The Tartan Medley3:0911My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose3:4312A Man's A Man For A' That3:0413The Clyde Medley4:5614My Ain Folk3:4015Flower Of Scotland3:20The Mist Covered Mountains of Home
1995 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks · 52:27
1The Mist Covered Mountains of Home2:082Bonnie Strathyre3:523Nicky Tams2:134Oor Ain Fireside3:155O Gin I Were Whar' Gadie Rins2:046To People Who Have Gardens2:497Amazing Grace3:508Kelvin Grove2:509Corn Rigs3:1210The Bonnie Lass O' Fyvie4:1211O Gin I Were a Baron's Heir4:0012Wee Cock Sparra2:5713Iona Boat song2:1814The Pan Drap Song4:4115The Flowers of the Forest5:0316Scotland the Brave3:03The Very Best Of Kenneth McKellar
1997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 20 tracks · 1:03:55
1My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose3:462Skye Boat Song3:233Cockles And Mussels2:534Wi' A Hundred Pipers3:325Stranger In Paradise4:566Villikins And His Dinah3:477Ye Banks And Braes3:018Serenade from The Fair Maid Of Perth3:469Danny Boy4:0710Island Moon1:5511Sweet Lass Of Richmond Hill2:1712There Was A Lad Was Born In Kyle1:5913Dance To Your Daddy1:1014Twa Corbies3:2215Greensleeves4:4916The Ball Of Kirriemuir2:3717O Waly Waly3:4318The Last Rose Of Summer4:0119Bonnie Labouring Boy2:4720The Rising Of The Lark2:041998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 55:09
1This Is Scotland2:382Mingulay Boat Song1:583The Island Of Tiree3:534Hieland Laddie1:535Corn Rigs are Bonnie3:116Scots Wha Hae2:387Come O’er The Stream Charlie3:188The Royal Mile3:139Sing To Me The Old Scots Songs Medlay: Sing To Me The Old Scots Songs, The Auld House, The Rowan Tree, Granny’s Hielan Hame, Sing To Me The Old Scots Songs5:1610The Wee Cooper Of Fife2:2111Bonnie Dundee2:3312The Saturday Dance2:2213The Northern Lights Of Old Aberdeen3:0014Nicky Tams2:1215Amazing Grace3:4716The Pan Drap Song4:4017Oor Ain Fireside3:1518Scotland The Brave3:01Kenneth McKellar's Book of Hymns
2005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 21 tracks · 1:12:19
1The Lord's My Shepherd3:252By Cool Siloam3:333O God of Bethel3:184Do No Sinful Action2:255O Sacred Head4:046I to the Hills2:177Great Is Jehovah5:058God Be in My Head1:439There Is a Green Hill2:4210When I Survey the Wondrous Cross3:2111All People That on Earth Do Dwell3:0012Come Let Us to the Lord Thy God2:4013Oh Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go2:4814Holy City4:2015Rejoice the Lord Is King3:3616Morning Has Broken2:1317I Would Beside My Lord6:0818Agnus Dei2:5319All Creatures of Our God and King4:3620Praise My Soul3:2221Abide With Me4:502013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 31:14
1There was a lad was born in Kyle1:562Bonnie wee thing3:233Corn rigs are bonnie2:164On Cessnock Banks2:165Ae fond kiss2:526My heart's in the highlands2:147The deil's awa' wi' the exciseman0:588Mary Morison3:239Bonnie lass of Ballochmyle3:0110Of a' the airts the win' can blaw3:5911My love she's but a lassie yet1:1112My love is like a red, red rose3:45— · studio album
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Tracklist · 25 tracks · 1:07:21
1The Road to the Isles2:282An Eriskay Love Lilt3:053The Cockle Gatherer1:154Bonnie Mary of Argyle3:275The Star O' Robbie Burns3:016Scotland the Brave2:447Roamin' in the Gloamin'2:378Bonnie Wee Thing3:259Westering Home1:4810Afton Water3:2711Song of the Clyde3:1212Keep Right on to the End of the Road3:0313Uist Tramping Song2:0114The Rowan Tree3:2115Mingulay Boat Song1:5816The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen3:1517Ho-Ree Ho-ro, My Little Wee Girl1:3718My Ain Folk3:1719The Long Ships1:5620Lewis Bridal Song1:4121Granny's Highland Hame2:5722The Bluebells of Scotland3:1423Loch Lomond2:5524Hieland Laddie1:4325Will Ye No Come Back Again?3:54
Single · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | A Man Without LoveSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:44AA Man Without Love3:32 BAs Long As The Sun Shines2:12 | 1966 |
Album · 4
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Children's ClassicsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 6 tracks · 1:09:351Peter and the Wolf, op. 6726:12 2Carnival of the Animals26:44 3Uncle Ken - Nursery Rhymes 12:16 4Uncle Ken - Nursery Rhymes 27:07 5Uncle Ken - Nursery Rhymes 32:23 6Uncle Ken - Nursery Rhymes 44:53 | Compilation | 1999 | |
| 1999 | The Decca Years 1955–1975Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 50 tracks · 2:35:54Disc 1 1Kishmul’s Galley2:27 2An Island Sheiling Song3:34 3Wi’ a Hundred Pipers3:35 4The De’il’s Awa’ Wi’ the Exciseman1:00 5There Was a Lad Was Born in Kyle1:58 6Mary Morison3:25 7The Christ‐Child’s Lullaby2:59 8The Peat Fire Flame2:23 9To People Who Have Gardens2:05 10Country Girl3:02 11Think on Me3:42 12Dream Angus3:16 13O sole mio2:33 14Ombra mai fu (Largo)4:23 15Love in Her Eyes Sits Playing6:28 16En fermant les yeux (Dream Song)3:51 17Serenade3:46 18This Is My Lovely Day4:40 19Ae Fond Kiss3:39 20Ye Banks and Braes3:02 21Skye Fisher’s Song3:19 22Sleeps the Moon in the Deep Blue Sky2:45 23Kalinka2:56 24The Longest Day2:11 Disc 21Trottin’ to the Fair1:38 2By the Short Cut to the Rosses2:31 3Down by the Salley Gardens3:16 4Una furtiva lagrima3:59 5On Wings of Song3:40 6Faery Song1:37 7I’ll Walk Beside You2:51 8On the Road to Mandalay3:44 9My Lagan Love3:13 10She Moved Thro’ the Fair2:39 11Sunrise, Sunset3:30 12Maria3:36 13Ca' the Ewes3:36 14An Eriskay Love Lilt3:03 15Roamin’ in the Gloamin’2:36 16Song of the Clyde3:10 17Uist Tramping Song (Come Along)2:00 18Hame o’ Mine4:23 19Hail Caledonia2:52 20Great Is Jehovah5:03 21I to the Hills2:16 22God Be in My Head1:40 23My Ain Folk3:04 24Lewis Bridal Song1:40 25Skye Boat Song3:24 26Will Ye No Come Back Again3:54 | Compilation | 12 July 1999 | |
| 2016 | At Home in ScotlandSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 13 tracks · 34:161Ae Fond Kiss2:52 2Afton Water3:22 3Bonny Wee Lass of Ballochmyle3:00 4Bonnie Wee Thing3:19 5Corn Riggs Are Bonnie2:16 6Mary Morison3:21 7My Heart Is in the Highlands2:15 8My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose3:41 9My Love She’s but a Lassie Yet1:09 10Of A’ the Airts the Win’ Can Blaw3:56 11On Cessnock Banks2:15 12The De’il’s Awa’ Wi’ the Exciseman0:56 13There Was a Man Was Born in Kyle1:54 | Compilation | 5 August 2016 | |
| 2019 | My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose (Remastered)Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 13 tracks · 35:331My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose3:49 2Bonnie Wee Thing3:25 3Mary Morison3:27 4Afton Water3:27 5On Cessnock Banks2:21 6Ae Fond Kiss2:55 7My Heart’s in the Highlands2:20 8The De’ils Awa’ Wi’ the Exciseman1:02 9Corn Rigs Are Bonnie2:22 10Bonnie Lass of Ballochmyle3:06 11Of A’ the Airts the Win’ Can Blaw4:04 12My Love She’s but a Lassie Yet1:15 13There Was a Lad Born on Kyle2:00 | Compilation | 24 July 2019 |
Other · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Mckellar TodaySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 17 tracks · 58:321The Island of Tiree3:54 2Flower of Scotland3:33 3The Braes of Balquhidder3:44 4Old Ballad (Circa 1988) (The Farmer's Daughter)3:53 5Mull of the Cool Bens2:40 6The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen2:58 7Rowan Tree3:08 8Glencoe (The Massacre Of)3:41 9Eriskay Love Lilt3:28 10A Wee Place in the Highlands3:40 11Jean3:23 12Scotland Again3:52 13Thou Bonnie Wood o' Craigielea3:24 14Mingulay Boat Song1:58 15Clyde Medley4:56 16Ye Banks and Braes3:14 17The Star o' Rabbie Burns3:06 | — |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Kenneth McKellar head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 17 | 85.9th |
| Studio albums | 11 | 91.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 13 | 89.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 44 | 84.8th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
aliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d66a99f5-8dd0-4c25-a141-8850b13cc50adiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d66a99f5-8dd0-4c25-a141-8850b13cc50acore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1245757seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_McKellar_%28singer%29biography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_McKellar_%28singer%29
Why this artist is in the database
- List of Scottish musicians
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: no portrait (not displayed: the licence credit is missing)
Wikidata: Q1245757 · MusicBrainz: d66a99f5-8dd0-4c25-a141-8850b13cc50a
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