Biography

James Campbell was born in Greep on the Isle of Skye in 1945, on the last day of World War II—the youngest child of James, Seumas Chaluim Sheumais and Mary Anne MacLeod, Màiri Anna Choinnich a' Chanaich. He had four sisters and two brothers, but a sister and brother died in the 1980s. The house where Seumas was brought up was full of music - singing and piping - and he was keen and had the opportunity to learn songs from the whole family. He learned Àirigh Luachrach Ùige from his father and from Murdo, his father's brother.

He went to Vatten Primary School and Portree High School. After some time at Edinburgh University, he became interested in police work and spent 27 years as a policeman in Glasgow. In 1971 he married Karen MacDonald from Broadford. They met in their first year at Portree High School. Karen was the niece of Doctor Alan MacDonald (An Dotair Mòr) [1999], a famous piper and judge of piping.

James won the Gold Medal of the Comann Gàidhealach in 1971 and the Gold Medal for traditional singing in 1974. He spent 25 years in the Glasgow Islay Gaelic Choir and 10 years in the Stirling Gaelic Choir, both as singer and conductor. He still sings solo and as a member of Na Caimbeulaich. This has taken him across Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Canada, and in 2009, he was invited to sing at the Royal Opera House in Bayreuth, Germany, the first time Gaelic was heard in that famous place. James is often a judge at local and national Mòds.