Will Starr
Encyclopedia
Will Starr was a Scottish
solo accordion
ist.
in Central Scotland
. The oldest son of a family of eight.
At the age of two, Will attempted to play his first tune, "Poor Old Joe", on a melodeon
belonging to his father, Joseph Starrs. His family recognised the musical potential in young William and encouraged him to continue playing the melodeon. Later he progressed from the melodeon to the chromatic button accordion which he played for the remainder of his life.
Will would frequently play at local events and social functions accompanied by his sister Rosie (a singer).
, Will was introduced by Sir Ian Colquhoun to Jock Kilpatrick, the manager of the Pavilion Theatre
in Glasgow. Jock invited him to join the cast as a solo performer, and after being granted permission to leave school early, Will began his professional stage career.
Will was seventeen when World War II
broke out, and was eligible for military service in the armed forces, however, he was already working in the mines and so became a 'Bevin Boy’
.
Will recorded his first 78 record for Parlophone
at the age of 18. The music was of his own composition and was named "Jacqueline" (which is almost always referred to erroneously as "The Jacqueline Waltz") after his then girlfriend.
After losing a battle with cancer of the spine, Will Starr died in his home town of Croy on March 6, 1976 and was buried in the Starrs family grave in Howe Road Cemetery, Kilsyth, Stirlingshire.
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...
solo accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist.
Early life
Will Starr was born William Starrs in the mining village of CroyCroy, North Lanarkshire
Croy is a village in North Lanarkshire), Scotland. A former mining community, Croy is situated some 21 km from Glasgow and 60 km from Edinburgh on the main railway line between the two cities, with a frequent service to both...
in Central 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...
. The oldest son of a family of eight.
At the age of two, Will attempted to play his first tune, "Poor Old Joe", on a melodeon
Melodeon (organ)
A melodeon is a type of 19th century reed organ with a foot-operated vacuum bellows, and a piano keyboard. It differs from the related harmonium, which uses a pressure bellows. Melodeons were manufactured in the United States sometime after 1812 until the Civil War era...
belonging to his father, Joseph Starrs. His family recognised the musical potential in young William and encouraged him to continue playing the melodeon. Later he progressed from the melodeon to the chromatic button accordion which he played for the remainder of his life.
Will would frequently play at local events and social functions accompanied by his sister Rosie (a singer).
Teenage Years
At the age of thirteen, while making a solo guest appearance at a County Dinner in the Grand Hotel in GlasgowGlasgow
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...
, Will was introduced by Sir Ian Colquhoun to Jock Kilpatrick, the manager of the Pavilion Theatre
Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow)
-History:One of Glasgow's oldest theatres, the Pavilion Theatre of Varieties opened on 29 February 1904 as a Music hall. The building has remained relatively unchanged in layout, although the sound and lighting systems have been updated over the years...
in Glasgow. Jock invited him to join the cast as a solo performer, and after being granted permission to leave school early, Will began his professional stage career.
Will was seventeen when 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...
broke out, and was eligible for military service in the armed forces, however, he was already working in the mines and so became a 'Bevin Boy’
Bevin Boys
Bevin Boys were young British men conscripted to work in the coal mines of the United Kingdom, from December 1943 until 1948. Chosen at random from conscripts but also including volunteers, nearly 48,000 Bevin Boys performed vital but largely unrecognised service in the mines, many of them...
.
Will recorded his first 78 record for Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
at the age of 18. The music was of his own composition and was named "Jacqueline" (which is almost always referred to erroneously as "The Jacqueline Waltz") after his then girlfriend.
Adult Years
Although Will Starr travelled the world as an international performer, he would always return to Croy during his breaks from performing.After losing a battle with cancer of the spine, Will Starr died in his home town of Croy on March 6, 1976 and was buried in the Starrs family grave in Howe Road Cemetery, Kilsyth, Stirlingshire.