Biography
Although Archie Grant was born in Lenzie, on the outskirts of Glasgow, in 1902, he was raised with Gaelic as his first language. He was seven when his parents returned to the Isle of Skye. His father, Kenneth, was from Husabost in Glendale and his mother, Kirsty Turner, was from Portnahaven in Islay.
Archie began singing very young. He recalled how he sang A Fhleasgaich an Fhuilt Chraobhaich Chais at a wedding in Lenzie when he was just four years old. Speaking to Fred MacAulay on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal in December 1985, he said of himself: "It was in me, as it were, from birth, and there was never anything but just what I picked up myself. I picked up a lot from my mother. She was good. She was musical."
He lived in Skye until he was about eighteen: "I used to sing while herding the cows on the hills."
He returned to Glasgow where he got work on the railways and later at the docks on the Clyde. He was a member of the St Columba's Church Choir, led by Donald MacColl, and in 1927 he sang solo for the first time at the Christians' Hall. Four years later, in 1931, he competed at the Dingwall Mòd and at the age of 29, on his first attempt, he won the Gold Medal, the Oban and Lorne Medal, and first prize for folksong: "I was grateful I didn't have to go back. I got both medals, and I got the unpublished song, and I got every prize that year, and I didn't go back again."
After this, he was sought after at every concert and ceilidh throughout Scotland and in London. In 1931, he made his first record for Beltona. He never forgot that day in Perth, nor the song he sang, Don Chuthaig:
"A large hall, and there was a window in the wall. A mark was placed on the floor, and they made me stand on that mark. And there was a red light, and when the red light was on, you then had to start singing. And I started singing, and when I was done singing, they asked me if I wanted to hear the song myself. 'Well,' I said, 'yes.' I had never heard myself sing until then. They played it back. And, oh, it was very strange hearing myself sing for the first time ever. And they told me then that I had to sing again, because the record I made was damaged. Once you sing on record, it can't be recorded over, and so a new record must be made. The record I sang on is the record I have today."
Archie made up to 30 records in total and they were very popular. He also took part in small plays such as Breith Là an Uachdarain.
In 1941 he married Mòr Dhòmhnaill Iain Seòladair from Achmore in Lewis. They had two daughters, Christine and Mairi.
Not only did Archie sing songs, he also composed tunes for them. Among the songs he set tunes to are Gad Chuimhneachadh, Seòlaidh Mise Null, Eilean Àlainn Leòdhais, Eilean na Hearadh, Bàta Phort Rìgh, Tiugainn do Sgalpaigh, Eilean Sgalpaigh na Hearadh and Gillean Uibhist.
Archie sang with the most famous singers of his day, something he had not expected:
"Before I began singing myself, I would go to concerts to see the big singers perform – Neil MacLean and his wife, Kenny MacRae, and many more going on stage. And I envied them. And I would say, 'Wouldn't it be great if I could perform with those people.' And I never thought I'd do it."
He enjoyed singing, especially at the large gatherings that were in Glasgow at the time:
"Indeed, it was a sight to behold. Standing on stage and seeing the crowd before you. It was lovely to sing in front of one or two thousand people. And I always preferred that to performing in a hall for maybe a hundred or two hundred people. I preferred to sing in St Andrew's Hall when it was full. It was much more interesting, and it was easier for me to sing."
In Gairm 32 (Summer 1960), Archie answered a question about the best night he remembered: "The night," he said, "that Kaid died and I sang Cumha MhicCruimein with Margaret Hill-Boyle playing the organ."
He didn't mention the big concerts he sang at, or the biggest ovation he received. Iain Kaid MacLean wrote the song 'S Truagh Nach Robh Mis' ann an Eilean mo Chridh' and English songs such as The Shinty Referee and Way up in Clachan.
Archie Grant passed away on the 17th of January 1991, aged 88.