Ashley MacIsaac
Encyclopedia
Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac (born February 24, 1975 in Creignish, Nova Scotia
) is a Canadian
professional fiddle
r from Cape Breton Island
.
His album Hi™ How Are You Today?
, featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie", with vocals in Scottish Gaelic
by Mary Jane Lamond
was released in 1995. MacIsaac published an autobiography
, Fiddling with Disaster in 2003.
band, Madison Violet
. She also appears on his album Helter's Celtic.
His cousins Alexis MacIsaac, Wendy MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster
are also touring fiddlers. Ashley MacIsaac is a distant cousin of The White Stripes
guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White
. The two met and MacIsaac opened for The White Stripes concert in Glace Bay
.
noted MacIsaac's rock-star bravado and eccentricities. In 1996, in a Maclean's interview, he claimed that he had discussed his sexual life, including his underaged boyfriend in an interview with the LGBT
newsmagazine The Advocate
. The Advocate did not print any of the material, but Maclean's dropped him from its year-end honours list.
On a 1997 Late Night with Conan O'Brien
appearance his leg kick lifted his kilt
high enough that his genitals were visible to the studio and television audience. MacIsaac stated it was unintentional.
Also in 1997, MacIsaac toured the United States as an opening act for The Chieftains
. It was widely reported in the media that another opener, folk singer Nanci Griffith
, dropped out of the tour because she objected to MacIsaac's musical style, but Griffith confirmed in Rolling Stone that her primary conflict was with tour organizers over how much time was available for her after the addition of MacIsaac to the bill.
In 1998 MacIsaac fought successfully to be independent of his record label. He subsequently signed with the independent label
Loggerhead Records for his 1999 album Helter's Celtic. During the promotional tour for that album, he indicated to the press that he had battled an addiction to crack cocaine
from 1997 to 1999.
In December 1999, MacIsaac screamed obscenities at a New Year's Eve rave in Halifax; the performance led to cancellations of concerts across Canada and a "media frenzy over his perceived downward spiral". MacIsaac got into a media spat with his label Loggerhead after the label sent out a press release distancing itself from his actions. Also the same year, MacIsaac told the Halifax Chronicle-Herald
that he was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy
, retracted the statement within a few days, and then actually filed for bankruptcy several months later.
In 2003, MacIsaac was alleged to have made a racist statement on stage, at a show where he reportedly accused an Asia
n woman in the audience of spreading SARS. He subsequently stated that the comment was intended as an ironic
parody of racism, and sued the Ottawa Citizen
for misrepresenting the statement as racist when in fact he was speaking out against racial profiling happening in Canada at the time.
In 2005, MacIsaac signed on with Linus Entertainment, forming a rock band with himself on lead vocals and guitar.
In 2010, MacIsaac wrote a charity single, "Dreams", to benefit Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong
, a skier from Ghana
who was the first Ghanaian athlete ever to compete in the Winter Olympics. In addition to Matthew Harder of the band House of Doc and Geoffrey Kelly
, Vince Ditrich
and Tobin Frank
of the band Spirit of the West
, Nkrumah-Acheampong himself participated in the recording, playing traditional Ghanaian percussion. The single, credited to The Parallel Band, was released to iTunes
on February 19, 2010. MacIsaac also performed in the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Games
in Vancouver.
, that he is studying constitutional law so as to pursue an entry into Canadian federal politics.
In the March 20, 2006, edition of the Halifax Daily News, MacIsaac declared himself a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
. MacIsaac denied that his campaign was a publicity stunt
, telling the Canadian Press
that he fully intended to mount a serious campaign, but on June 21, 2006, he decided to no longer take part in the leadership race.
; as of July 1, 2008, the highest bid was $1.5 million.
Creignish, Nova Scotia
Creignish is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Inverness County on Cape Breton Island near the mouth of the Strait of Canso....
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
r from Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
.
His album Hi™ How Are You Today?
Hi™ How Are You Today?
Hi™ How Are You Today? is an album by Ashley MacIsaac, released in 1995 on A&M Records' Ancient Music imprint. MacIsaac's major label debut and his most commercially successful album, it spawned the Canadian Top 40 hit "Sleepy Maggie"....
, featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie", with vocals in Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
by Mary Jane Lamond
Mary Jane Lamond
Mary Jane Lamond is a Canadian celtic folk musician who performs traditional Canadian Gaelic folk songs from Cape Breton Island. She was born in 1960 in Kingston, Ontario, graduated from Westmount High School in Montreal and then the Celtic Studies program at St...
was released in 1995. MacIsaac published an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Fiddling with Disaster in 2003.
Family
MacIsaac's sister Lisa is also a fiddler, who has her own alternative countryAlternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
band, Madison Violet
Madison Violet
Madison Violet is a Canadian duo composed of singer-songwriters Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac. The group has been notable for various folk and pop award nominations and wins.- History :...
. She also appears on his album Helter's Celtic.
His cousins Alexis MacIsaac, Wendy MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster, CM is an award-winning fiddler from the rural community of Troy in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada who plays Cape Breton fiddle music....
are also touring fiddlers. Ashley MacIsaac is a distant cousin of The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White
Jack White (musician)
Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
. The two met and MacIsaac opened for The White Stripes concert in Glace Bay
Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
Glace Bay is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton....
.
Career
In 1999, a journalist for The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
noted MacIsaac's rock-star bravado and eccentricities. In 1996, in a Maclean's interview, he claimed that he had discussed his sexual life, including his underaged boyfriend in an interview with the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
newsmagazine The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
. The Advocate did not print any of the material, but Maclean's dropped him from its year-end honours list.
On a 1997 Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
appearance his leg kick lifted his kilt
Kilt
The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
high enough that his genitals were visible to the studio and television audience. MacIsaac stated it was unintentional.
Also in 1997, MacIsaac toured the United States as an opening act for The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
. It was widely reported in the media that another opener, folk singer Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
, dropped out of the tour because she objected to MacIsaac's musical style, but Griffith confirmed in Rolling Stone that her primary conflict was with tour organizers over how much time was available for her after the addition of MacIsaac to the bill.
In 1998 MacIsaac fought successfully to be independent of his record label. He subsequently signed with the independent label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Loggerhead Records for his 1999 album Helter's Celtic. During the promotional tour for that album, he indicated to the press that he had battled an addiction to crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
from 1997 to 1999.
In December 1999, MacIsaac screamed obscenities at a New Year's Eve rave in Halifax; the performance led to cancellations of concerts across Canada and a "media frenzy over his perceived downward spiral". MacIsaac got into a media spat with his label Loggerhead after the label sent out a press release distancing itself from his actions. Also the same year, MacIsaac told the Halifax Chronicle-Herald
Halifax Chronicle-Herald
The Chronicle Herald is a broadsheet published in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The largest newspaper company in Nova Scotia, The Chronicle Herald is also the highest circulation newspaper in the Atlantic provinces and is currently the largest independently owned newspaper company in Canada...
that he was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, retracted the statement within a few days, and then actually filed for bankruptcy several months later.
In 2003, MacIsaac was alleged to have made a racist statement on stage, at a show where he reportedly accused an Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n woman in the audience of spreading SARS. He subsequently stated that the comment was intended as an ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
parody of racism, and sued the Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :...
for misrepresenting the statement as racist when in fact he was speaking out against racial profiling happening in Canada at the time.
In 2005, MacIsaac signed on with Linus Entertainment, forming a rock band with himself on lead vocals and guitar.
In 2010, MacIsaac wrote a charity single, "Dreams", to benefit Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong
Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong
Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong nicknamed "The Snow Leopard", is a Ghanaian skiier and is the first person from Ghana to take part in the Winter Olympics, at the 2010 Games held in Vancouver, Canada, taking part in the slalom...
, a skier from Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
who was the first Ghanaian athlete ever to compete in the Winter Olympics. In addition to Matthew Harder of the band House of Doc and Geoffrey Kelly
Geoffrey Kelly
Geoffrey Kelly is a Canadian rock musician.He plays guitars, flutes and bodhran for the folk rock band Spirit of the West, for whom he is also the lead vocalist on some songs. He and John Mann are the band's primary songwriters.Kelly is also a full time member of The Paperboys, and released a solo...
, Vince Ditrich
Vince Ditrich
Vince Ditrich is a Canadian rock musician.A drummer, Ditrich has played with a variety of musicians, including pre-Odds bands with Doug Elliott and Steven Drake, Long John Baldry, Paul Hyde, Sue Medley, Mae Moore, Great Big Sea and Doug and the Slugs.In late 1989, he joined Spirit of the West, and...
and Tobin Frank
Tobin Frank
Tobin Frank is a Canadian musician, who records, performs and tours with the bands Spirit of the West and The Paperboys. Primarily a bass guitarist, Frank also plays some accordion and keyboard parts....
of the band Spirit of the West
Spirit of the West
Spirit of the West are a Canadian folk rock band, who were popular on the Canadian folk music scene in the 1980s before evolving a blend of hard rock, Britpop, and Celtic folk influences which made them one of Canada's most successful alternative rock acts in the 1990s.-Early years:The band began...
, Nkrumah-Acheampong himself participated in the recording, playing traditional Ghanaian percussion. The single, credited to The Parallel Band, was released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on February 19, 2010. MacIsaac also performed in the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Games
2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held on February 12, 2010 beginning at 6:00 pm PST at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors...
in Vancouver.
Political involvement
MacIsaac has declared an interest in politics and has stated, in a letter to the National PostNational Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, that he is studying constitutional law so as to pursue an entry into Canadian federal politics.
In the March 20, 2006, edition of the Halifax Daily News, MacIsaac declared himself a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. MacIsaac denied that his campaign was a publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
, telling the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
that he fully intended to mount a serious campaign, but on June 21, 2006, he decided to no longer take part in the leadership race.
eBay
In 2008, MacIsaac auctioned off 50% of all his future earnings on eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
; as of July 1, 2008, the highest bid was $1.5 million.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | CRIA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CAN Country | US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
|||
| 1992 | Close to the Floor | 71 | 10 | ||
| 1993 | A Cape Breton Christmas (Ashley MacIsaac and Friends) | ||||
| 1995 | Hi™ How Are You Today? Hi™ How Are You Today? Hi™ How Are You Today? is an album by Ashley MacIsaac, released in 1995 on A&M Records' Ancient Music imprint. MacIsaac's major label debut and his most commercially successful album, it spawned the Canadian Top 40 hit "Sleepy Maggie".... |
9 | 20 | 2× Platinum | |
| 1996 | Fine®, Thank You Very Much | 24 | |||
| 1999 | Helter's Celtic | ||||
| 2001 | capebretonfiddlemusicNOTCALM (with Howie MacDonald) | ||||
| 2003 | Ashley MacIsaac | ||||
| 2004 | Live at the Savoy | ||||
| 2005 | Fiddle Music 101 (with Dave MacIsaac Dave MacIsaac Dave MacIsaac is a Canadian musician from Nova Scotia who plays the fiddle and guitar, specialising in the Celtic music style.-Awards and recognition:... ) |
||||
| 2006 | Pride | ||||
| 2008 | The Best of Ashley MacIsaac | ||||
| 2011 | Crossover |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN AC | CAN Dance | CAN | US Adult Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
US Dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 1995 | "The Square Dance Song" (with BKS BKS BKS is a Toronto-based techno group created by radio DJ Chris Sheppard, with other members Hennie Bekker and Greg Kavanagh.... ) |
18 | Astroplane (BKS album) | |||||
| "Sleepy Maggie" | 42 | 15 | 13 | 29 | 102 | Hi™ How Are You Today? | ||
| 1996 | "Devil in the Kitchen" | 47 | 53 | |||||
| 1997 | "Brenda Stubbert" | |||||||
| 1998 | "Great Divide" (with Bruce Hornsby Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and... ) |
43 | 33 | Spirit Trail Spirit Trail Bruce Hornsby's sixth album, a double album, is titled Spirit Trail. This is his third solo-credited album. This would be the last album before his current band, Bruce Hornsby & the Noise Makers, formed. This album can be seen in the film "World's Greatest Dad".-Track listing:-Musicians:* Bruce... (Bruce Hornsby album) |
Filmography
- The Hanging GardenThe Hanging GardenThe Hanging Garden is a 1997 British/Canadian movie written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald that is about the duality of life and death and the way seemingly very different choices in life can lead to similar outcomes....
- Basil, wedding musician (1997) - Power PlayPower Play (TV series)Power Play was a Canadian television drama series, which aired on CTV from 1998 to 2000. The series was filmed at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario....
- himself (one episode, 1999) - New Waterford GirlNew Waterford GirlNew Waterford Girl is a Canadian drama-comedy film, released in 1999. The film was directed by Allan Moyle, and written by Tricia Fish.New Waterford Girl stars Liane Balaban as Agnes-Marie "Moonie" Pottie, a teenager in New Waterford, Nova Scotia who dreams of life beyond her small-town home...
- town fiddler (1999) - Nabbie no koi - Ashley O'Connor (1999)
- Marion Bridge - Mickey (2002)
- Life and Times - himself (one episode, 2005)
- Through the Times -himself at the Doryman Tavern(Cheticamp,NS)
External links
- Ashley MacIsaac official website