Jock Duncan was a Scottish singer from Gelliebrae near New Deer in Aberdeenshire, known for singing many songs and bothy ballads from Aberdeenshire.
15 Facts About Jock Duncan
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Jock Duncan had performed at bothy ballad competitions since 1975 and made recordings of his music since 1996.
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In recognition of his work for furthering Scots singing, Duncan was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
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In 2000, Jock Duncan was given a Herald Angel award from the Edinburgh Festival for his long work with ballad singing.
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Jock Duncan was born on the farm of Gelliebrae, New Deer, Aberdeenshire in 1925.
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Jock Duncan left school at 14 years old to work on the farm as an orra loon or apprentice.
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Jock Duncan was the husband of Frances Duncan and father of Gordon Duncan and Ian Duncan, both well known for piping, as well as Moria and Frances Duncan.
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Jock Duncan learnt bothy ballads from his uncle Charlie Duncan.
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Jock Duncan's mother was a pianist and his sister Marion was a singer.
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Jock Duncan joined the Royal Air Force when he turned 18 in 1943, spending two years in France during World War II.
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In 1960, Jock Duncan featured on the Grampian TV programme Bothy Nichts, as a member of the Fyvie Loons and Quines.
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In 1975, Jock Duncan entered and won his first bothy ballad singing contest in Kinross, while in 2004 he came fourth in a contest in Moray.
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Over fifty years, from the 1930s, Jock Duncan interviewed Scottish soldiers that fought in World War I, recording all they could remember about country life in the Northeast of Scotland before the war.
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The 59 soldiers were mostly Scots speakers and Jock Duncan transcribed the soldiers' stories in Scots.
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Jock Duncan died on 25 March 2021 in Dundee at the age of 95.