Draft:Jim Malcolm

Jim Malcolm
James Douglas Malcolm is an award winning traditional Scottish folk musician, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and recording artist. He was the lead singer of the folk rock band the Old Blind Dogs for eight years, before beginning his solo career.

Early Life
Jim Malcolm was born in Cumbernauld, Scotland, in 1964 to parents Helen Grewar and Erick Malcolm. After moving to Perth to live with his grandmother, he attended Perth High School.

After secondary school he attended the University of Edinburgh, initially studying Chemistry before switching to a General Arts degree.

Musical Career
Jim Malcolm learned to play the guitar as a child, when his mother Helen decided she no longer wished to learn, and asked the teacher if Jim could take up tutelage instead. This was the beginning of a lifetime's dedication to the guitar.

After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, Jim became a professional musician. He gigged solo and in various bands, performing in pubs, clubs, and other venues all across Scotland. He soon began to tour abroad, playing in Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and even Uganda (to name a few).

During his eight year stint as lead singer for the established folk-rock band the Old Blind Dogs, Jim Malcolm toured extensively around music festivals in Europe and North America. During this time, the Old Blind Dogs recorded three studio albums as well as a live album.

As a solo musician, Jim is renowned for his unique sound, blending Scots vocals with simultaneous acoustic guitar and harmonica playing. He has written many songs, and is heavily inspired by old Scots songs, poems, and tunes; he often writes new lyrics for old tunes, and new tunes for old writings. Jim Malcolm is known for his extensive scholarship in the works of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, and even starred in a film titled 'Bard Hair Day', a humorous depiction of the poet as he walks around a modern day Edinburgh. He also takes historical inspiration from other Scots of the past, such as William Soutar and Tannahill. He has been greatly influenced by his personal folk hero Jim Reid, a fellow Scots singer and guitarist of superb quality, who sadly passed away in 2009.

His solo performance style has been summarised as "Scots troubadour", with his music always accompanied by stories, historical accounts, and sharp wit. In this way, he continues the cultural legacy of Scots bards through the ages.

Highlights

 * Jim Malcolm was voted Songwriter of Year at the 2004 Scots Trad Music Awards, and was nominated again in both 2005 and 2008. 18 years later, his daughter Beth Malcolm was voted BBC MG ALBA Scots Singer of the Year, carrying on the family legacy.
 * In 2011, Jim Malcolm was accompanied by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing two of his songs: Lochanside and Battle of Waterloo, at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow.

Later Life
In 1997, Jim Malcolm married fellow Scottish folk musician and journalist Susan Mary Jean Allan (1966-present), who he met singing at a bar in Forfar, Scotland. They live together in Perth, Scotland, and have two children together, Elizabeth Andrea Malcolm (1997-present) and Alexander Andrew Malcolm (2001-present).

Jim Malcolm is a keen dry fly fisherman, and passionate malt whisky officianado.

Discography
As of February 2024, Jim Malcolm has released 16 solo albums and one DVD.