Famous Scottish Musicians

Lewis Capaldi's success story is one of the greatest testimonies to the fact that magical things can happen when talent meets opportunity. From being just another aspiring singer, he quickly became a popular singer-songwriter in the UK and the US after Ryan Walter stumbled upon his iPhone recording on his SoundCloud account. Subsequently, he was signed to Universal Music Group.

David McCallum is a Scottish musician and actor who gained recognition for portraying Illya Kuryakin in the popular spy fiction TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He gained international recognition for playing Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in the action police procedural TV series NCIS. David McCallum has also contributed as a writer, publishing a novel titled Once a Crooked Man.

Donovan is a Scottish guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for developing and popularizing a distinctive and eclectic style that blended many genres, such as folk, jazz, pop, calypso, and psychedelic rock. Donovan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Lauren Mayberry is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and musician. Mayberry, who possesses a soprano singing voice, is the lead vocalist of the popular Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches, where she also plays keyboards and drums. One-third of the band, Mayberry co-produces and co-writes the songs along with Martin Doherty and Iain Cook. A vocal feminist, Mayberry runs the feminist collective, TYCI.

Stuart Sutcliffe was a Scottish musician and painter. He is best remembered for his association with the popular rock band the Beatles, where he was the original bass guitarist. Before achieving popularity as a guitarist, Sutcliffe left the Beatles to pursue painting. Along with John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe is credited with coining the name Beetles, which later became the Beatles.

Jimmy Somerville is a Scottish singer-songwriter best known for his association with popular synth-pop groups like The Communards and Bronski Beat. Somerville, who possesses a soulful and powerful falsetto singing voice, is known in particular for including political commentary on issues like LGBT rights in his songs. In 1984, he won the Grierson Award for his work in Framed Youth.

Once described as “the voice of God,” Scottish singer Elizabeth Fraser gained fame as part of the dream pop band Cocteau Twins, known for its obscure lyrics and foreign words which were inserted in the songs because they sounded good. Sexually abused by her family members, she left home at 16

Better known by his pseudonym, Fish, Scottish rock singer Derek William Dick first gained fame as part of the British band Marillion. Known for hits such as Kayleigh, he later also had a successful solo career. He once revealed how he almost died twice, from skin-infection-induced blood poisoning.

Scottish singer-songwriter Scott Hutchison is remembered as the founder of the indie rock band Frightened Rabbit. Though he had initially studied illustration, he later switched to his old love for the guitar and stepped into music. He was found dead by Scottish police after going missing for 2 days.

A shy kid, Hans Matheson hated school and, on the insistence of his mother, joined a drama school. The Scottish actor is best known for his roles in Doctor Zhivago, Sherlock Holmes, and Tess of the D'Urbervilles. He loves playing the guitar, harmonica, and violin, and often travels by train.

Part of the Scottish band Cocteau Twins, Robin Guthrie and his guitar made serious waves in the alternate music scene of the 1980s. He also performed as part of Violet Indiana and has often collaborated with American pianist Harold Budd. He later also stepped into music production.