Andy Cameron
Encyclopedia
Andy Cameron is a Scottish
comedian
, television
and radio
broadcaster
. He was born in London while his father, Hugh Cameron, was serving in the Army
during World War II
. Cameron was raised by his grandmother, Isabella 'Bella' Cameron, in the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen
, south east of Glasgow
, Scotland
). Prior to pursuing this career he had worked for a time with the Glasgow based structural engineering firm, Sir William Arrol & Co.
and for Glasgow Corporation Transport.
when he was 32, initially working in clubs
. His act as a football hooligan led to him becoming a top comedy act in Scottish football
clubs. He is probably best known for writing and performing the football anthem
"Ally's Tartan Army
" for the Scotland national football team
's appearance at the 1978 World Cup. It went to #6 in the UK Singles Chart
and led to two appearances on Top of the Pops
in 1978. Cameron promptly put all of the profits from his single
into producing an album
, which he hoped to release while the World Cup fever in Scotland was still going strong. He was too late - Scotland team went out of the World Cup early and Cameron's album fared equally badly. Andy also released a song in the 70's for his beloved Glasgow Rangers - 'The Greatest Team of All' - which still appears on the odd Rangers compilation album.
In 1975 he came second in New Faces
leading to several appearances on variety shows such as Live at Her Majesty’s with Jimmy Tarbuck
and Tarby and Friends.
In 1979, soon after the establishment of BBC Radio Scotland
, he was given a thirteen week contract to present a programme of music
and humour
. The show eventually ran for fifteen years. He was voted Radio Personality of the year in 1984. He had his own series on BBC Scotland
in 1979 and again in 1982. He was awarded Scottish Television Personality of the Year for his 1983 series called It’s Andy Cameron.
In the early 1980s he was invited to speak in debates at Cambridge and Oxford Universities alongside Arnold Brown
and James Naughtie
.
Cameron is a well-known celebrity Rangers F.C.
supporter
. In the early 1980s however he caused some controversy by attacking the club's anti-catholic signing policies at an Annual General Meeting of the club.
In 1984, Cameron presented STV's Hogmanay
show. The following year he presented the BBC Scotland Hogmanay show, and continued to do so until 1989. His last Hogmanay appearance was in 1990, in a short programme called Andy's Scottish Filling which preceded the live BBC Hogmanay Show.
In 1994 Cameron joined the cast of Take the High Road
, the STV soap
. He played a character called Chic Cherry, until the last episode in 2003.
He currently works as an after dinner speaker, and has a 'stand-up' act before Rangers F.C.'s home league matches. Furthermore, he presented a show on Clyde 2
on Sunday afternoons until that show ended in late 2009 when he was replaced by Tom Ferrie, whose show is now networked by two or three others Scottish radio stations.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
. He was born in London while his father, Hugh Cameron, was serving in the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Cameron was raised by his grandmother, Isabella 'Bella' Cameron, in the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen
Rutherglen
Rutherglen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.-History:...
, south east of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
). Prior to pursuing this career he had worked for a time with the Glasgow based structural engineering firm, Sir William Arrol & Co.
Sir William Arrol & Co.
Sir William Arrol & Co. was a leading Scottish civil engineering business founded by William Arrol and based in Glasgow. It built some of the most famous bridges in the United Kingdom including the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge in London.-Early history:...
and for Glasgow Corporation Transport.
Career
He entered show businessShow business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
when he was 32, initially working in clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. His act as a football hooligan led to him becoming a top comedy act in Scottish football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
clubs. He is probably best known for writing and performing the football anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
"Ally's Tartan Army
Ally's Tartan Army
Ally's Tartan Army was a novelty record released by Scottish comedian Andy Cameron on the Klub Records label to mark the Scottish football team's qualification for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. The "Tartan Army" are Scotland's fans; "Ally" was team manager Ally MacLeod...
" for the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
's appearance at the 1978 World Cup. It went to #6 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and led to two appearances on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in 1978. Cameron promptly put all of the profits from his single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
into producing an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, which he hoped to release while the World Cup fever in Scotland was still going strong. He was too late - Scotland team went out of the World Cup early and Cameron's album fared equally badly. Andy also released a song in the 70's for his beloved Glasgow Rangers - 'The Greatest Team of All' - which still appears on the odd Rangers compilation album.
In 1975 he came second in New Faces
New Faces
New Faces was a British television talent show popular in the 1970s and 1980s, presented originally by Derek Hobson. It was produced by ATV Network Limited for the ITV Network. The first run of the show was from 29 September 1973 to 2 April 1978 and was recorded at the ATV Centre, Birmingham...
leading to several appearances on variety shows such as Live at Her Majesty’s with Jimmy Tarbuck
Jimmy Tarbuck
Jimmy Tarbuck OBE or Tarby is an English comedian. Growing up he was a schoolmate of John Lennon.His first television show was It's Tarbuck 65! on ITV in 1964. He has also hosted numerous quiz shows, including Winner Takes All, Full Swing, and Tarby's Frame Game...
and Tarby and Friends.
In 1979, soon after the establishment of BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
, he was given a thirteen week contract to present a programme of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and humour
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
. The show eventually ran for fifteen years. He was voted Radio Personality of the year in 1984. He had his own series on BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
in 1979 and again in 1982. He was awarded Scottish Television Personality of the Year for his 1983 series called It’s Andy Cameron.
In the early 1980s he was invited to speak in debates at Cambridge and Oxford Universities alongside Arnold Brown
Arnold Brown (comedian)
Arnold Brown is a Scottish comedian, one of the main figures in the alternative comedy scene of the early 1980s. Originally an accountant, Brown worked hard at live standup, until he found a knack of presenting observational comedy in a slow, meandering but entertaining style...
and James Naughtie
James Naughtie
James Naughtie is a British radio presenter and radio news presenter for the BBC. Since 1994 he has been one of the main presenters of Radio 4's Today programme.- Biography :...
.
Cameron is a well-known celebrity Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
supporter
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
. In the early 1980s however he caused some controversy by attacking the club's anti-catholic signing policies at an Annual General Meeting of the club.
In 1984, Cameron presented STV's Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
show. The following year he presented the BBC Scotland Hogmanay show, and continued to do so until 1989. His last Hogmanay appearance was in 1990, in a short programme called Andy's Scottish Filling which preceded the live BBC Hogmanay Show.
In 1994 Cameron joined the cast of Take the High Road
Take the High Road
Take the High Road was a Scottish soap opera produced by Scottish Television, and set in the fictional village of Glendarroch , and claims to have about 2 million fans, including the Queen Mother...
, the STV soap
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. He played a character called Chic Cherry, until the last episode in 2003.
He currently works as an after dinner speaker, and has a 'stand-up' act before Rangers F.C.'s home league matches. Furthermore, he presented a show on Clyde 2
Clyde 2
1152 Clyde 2 is a UK radio station that broadcasts to Glasgow and West Central Scotland. The station broadcasts contemporary easy listening music as well as specialist and sports programming, mainly football....
on Sunday afternoons until that show ended in late 2009 when he was replaced by Tom Ferrie, whose show is now networked by two or three others Scottish radio stations.
External links
- Profile, at Speak Out, a division of TMC Corporate Events & Entertainment Ltd