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http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=05-May-2017&s=13052
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=05-May-2017&s=13052
05-May-2017
Bill Wilkie MBE (1922-2017), Scotland – UKby Rob Howard |
 Bill Wilkie was a tireless champion of the accordion and Scottish music, a much loved personality, performer, teacher, businessman, organiser, and impresario. His contribution to the Scottish accordion scene was immense and pivotal due to his annual All-Scotland Accordion & Fiddle Festival and his other long term accordion activities. This prestigious annual festival – a large-scale one-day event held each October in Perth – proved to be a competitive springboard for the careers of many famous Scottish accordionists. Bill and his late wife, Ena, instigated the Perth festival in 1950, and for many years it was also an NAO area festival. As part of his Perth festival, the dynamic Bill Wilkie also organised many variety evening concerts, with leading international accordionists topping the bill, such as Gervasio Marcosignori, Toralf Tollefsen, the Paris-Moscow Duo, Pearl Fawcett-Adriano, Danielle Pauly, Oleg Sharov, and many more. Born in 1922, Bill played the harmonica from five years of age, switching to the piano accordion when he was twelve. He had lessons initially from a Mr Moonie of Dundee, and then Dr Sarafin in Perth, and when he was sixteen he entered and won an accordion competition in Dundee, playing his Hohner Organola. During the 1930s Bill worked in dance bands, playing all kinds of music including ballroom dance music. During World War Two, Bill served in the RAF, during which time he joined Ralph Reader’s ‘Gang Show’, performing alongside the likes of orchestra MD Norrie Paramor and movie comedy actor Peter Sellers. The ‘Gang Show’ entertained the armed forces in many places, including an extended tour of India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Bill played in a small group called the Jive Five, featuring Peter Sellers on drums. After the war ended, Bill – by now married to Ena – became a professional accordionist, and also became a highly respected teacher and an accordion orchestra MD. In 1959 he founded Wilkie’s New Music House - one of Britain’s major accordion retailers - in Perth, which closed in 2010. In 1994 Bill Wilkie was awarded the MBE for services to the All-Scotland Accordion & Fiddle Festival. His 2009 festival celebrated its diamond jubilee with a spectacular show. When he retired in 2010 he was possibly the world’s longest serving music festival organiser. Bill Wilkie passed away in Perth on May 1st 2017 at the age of 95 years, and is widely mourned. |