Sadenia "Eddi" Reader

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of

Fairground Attraction Fairground Attraction were a London based folk and soft rock band. They are notable for the 1988 hit songs " Perfect" and "Find My Love", both taken from the group's multi-platinum selling debut album, ''The First of a Million Kisses''. The ban ...

and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three

BRIT Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

. In 2003, she showcased the works of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

's national poet,

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

Early career

Reader was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland, the daughter of a

welder In a broad sense, a welder is anyone, amateur or professional, who uses welding equipment, perhaps especially one who uses such equipment fairly often. In a narrower sense, a welder is a tradesperson who specializes in fusing materials together ...

, and the eldest of seven children (her brother,

Francis Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural M ...

, is vocalist with the band

The Trash Can Sinatras Trashcan Sinatras are a Scottish band that were formed in Irvine, Scotland in 1986. The band's music makes frequent use of pop harmonies and wordplay. History Formation The band members met through the club/pub music scene in Irvine. The o ...

and her grandmother, Sadie Smith, was a leading Scottish footballer). She was nicknamed Edna by her parents. Living at first in the district of

Anderston Anderston ( sco, Anderstoun, gd, Baile Aindrea) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is on the north bank of the River Clyde and forms the south western edge of the city centre. Established as a village of handloom weavers in the early 18th ce ...

, in a tenement slum demolished in 1965, the young Reader family moved to a two-bedroomed flat in the estate of

Arden Arden may refer to: Places ;Australia *Arden, an area in North Melbourne, Victoria near the Arden Street Oval ;Canada * Arden, Ontario ;Denmark * Arden, Denmark, a town **Arden Municipality, a former municipality, including the town of Arden ; ...

.My Schooldays: Eddie Reader
The Scotsman, 22 May 2002 In 1976, due to overcrowding, the family was re-housed 25 miles from Glasgow, in a council development in

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and so ...

. However, Reader returned to Glasgow (where she lived with her grandmother in

Pollok Pollok ( gd, Pollag, lit=a pool, sco, Powk) is a large housing estate on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The estate was built either side of World War II to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,0 ...

) to finish her compulsory schooling. She began playing the guitar at the age of ten, and started her musical career

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...

, first in Glasgow's

Sauchiehall Street Sauchiehall Street () is one of the main shopping streets in the Glasgow city centre, city centre of Glasgow, Scotland, along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, Glasgow, Argyle Street. Although commonly associated with the city centre, Sau ...

, then in the early 1980s in London and around Europe (where she also worked with

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...

and performance artists). Back in Scotland, while finding factory work in Irvine and working part-time in Sirocco Recording Studio in

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

, she answered an advert in the music press and travelled to London to audition and join the

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

band

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...

, who needed a backing singer for their appearance on British television music show ''

The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. ...

'' and for their UK tour. This led to her first US tour with the band. After returning to the UK and leaving the band, she started working as a

session vocalist Session may refer to: Bureaucracy and law *Session (parliamentary procedure) *Session (Presbyterian), a governing body in Presbyterian polity *Court of Session, the supreme civil court of Scotland *Executive session, a portion of the United Stat ...

in London, picking up work singing jingles for radio advertisements and singing with such acts as

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...

The Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...

Billy MacKenzie William MacArthur Mackenzie (27 March 1957 – 22 January 1997) was a Scottish singer and songwriter, known for his distinctive high tenor voice. He was the co-founder and lead vocalist of post-punk and new wave band the Associates. He also h ...

John Foxx John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh; 26 September 1948) is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a ...

and

Alison Moyet Geneviève Alison Jane Ballard ( ; born 18 June 1961) is an English singer noted for her powerful bluesy contralto voice. She came to prominence as half of the duo Yazoo (also known as Yaz), but has since mainly worked as a solo artist. Her ...

Fairground Attraction

In 1984, Reader returned to the UK from Paris, where she had been working as a singer for the composer

Vladimir Cosma Vladimir Cosma (born 13 April 1940) is a Romanian composer, conductor and violinist. He was born into a family of musicians. His father, Teodor Cosma, was a pianist and conductor, his mother a writer-composer, his uncle, Edgar Cosma, composer and ...

. Through her contact with the brass section session players

The Kick Horns Kick Horns are a UK horn section based in London. They have worked prolifically as session musicians with a wide variety of performers, and have also recorded as an ensemble. The Kick Horns were established in the 1980s by Simon C. Clarke and Ti ...

in London, she signed a contract with

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

, and recorded two singles with the

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

group Outbar Squeek. Around the same time, she met and asked Mark E. Nevin, a guitarist and songwriter from the band Jane Aire and the Belvederes to write for her and they recorded two songs as 'The Academy of Fine Popular Music'. They subsequently formed

, together with Simon Edwards (

guitarrón Guitarrón or guitarron is a common name for a number of stringed instruments found in Latin America and may refer to: * Guitarrón argentino, a six-stringed musical instrument from Argentina * Guitarrón chileno, a 25-stringed, plucked instrument ...

– a Mexican acoustic bass guitar) and Roy Dodds (drums & percussion). In 1988 the band signed to

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

records and released their first single, " Perfect", which became a UK number one, winning best single at the 1989

. Their first album, ''

The First of a Million Kisses ''The First of a Million Kisses'' is the debut album by Fairground Attraction, released in 1988. The album features the number-one single " Perfect". Composition The album is a characteristic blend of folk, jazz, country, and Cajun elements (all ...

'', was also a success, reaching number two in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

, and winning best album at the 1989 Brits. This success was short-lived, however. In November 1989, after a break, during which Reader had her first child, Charlie, with her French-Algerian partner Milou, arguments arose within the group, and Nevin abandoned a recording session for the second album, which eventually led to the splitting of the band. A makeshift second album, a collection of

B-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

and live tracks, ''Ay Fond Kiss'', was rushed out the following year.

Solo career

''Mirmama'' and ''Eddi Reader'' (1992–1994)

Reader returned to Scotland, but before she embarked on her solo career she took a temporary detour into acting. She played Jolene Jowett, a singer and

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

ist, in John Byrne's ''Your Cheatin' Heart'', a comedy-drama series for

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

, set in the

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

scene in Scotland. In 1993 Reader was the presenter of

BBC Scotland BBC Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''BBC Alba'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. It is one of the four BBC national regions, together with the BBC English Regions, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland. I ...

's No Stilettos, a music performance programme recorded in Glasgow. Her other acting credits include playing the part of ''Joy 3'' from the Michael Boyd (artistic director of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

) production of Janice Galloway's ''The Trick Is to Keep Breathing''. This was a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

production in 1996 and also a

Tron Theatre The Tron Theatre is located in the corner of Trongate and Chisholm Street, in what was formerly the Tron Kirk which had started as the Collegiate Church of Our Lady and St. Anne in the Trongate area of Glasgow, Scotland. The Tron Steeple still ...

production the same year. Returning to London, Reader worked on new material with a backing band calling itself The Patron Saints of Imperfection (made up of Roy Dodds, Neill and Calum MacColl, and Phil Steriopoulos). This became her first solo album, recorded for

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

: 1992's ''

Mirmama ''Mirmama'' is the debut solo studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader, released by RCA in 1992. The album reached No. 34 on the UK Albums Chart. The album did not receive a US release in 1992, but was later remastered and issued on ...

''. She met

Geoff Travis Geoff Travis (born 2 February 1952) is the founder of both Rough Trade Records and the Rough Trade chain of record shops. A former drama teacher and owner of a punk record shop, Travis founded the Rough Trade label in 1978. Biography Travis wa ...

who signed her to

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

subsidiary label,

Blanco Y Negro Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involved ...

. The managing director Rob Dickens executively produced her second solo album ''

Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards. In 2003, she showcased the wo ...

'' (1994), which won her the "Best female singer" BRIT Award that year, followed by '' Candyfloss and Medicine'' (1996), and '' Angels & Electricity'' (1998). She parted from Warner Brothers and continued her work on Geoff Travis' Rough Trade label when she recorded ''

Simple Soul ''Simple Soul'' is the fifth studio album by Eddi Reader released in the UK on 29 January 2001. The album is a lot more stripped down than its predecessor, ''Angels and Electricity'' being predominantly folk and acoustic based. Many of ...

'' (2001) and ''

Driftwood __NOTOC__ Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and fo ...

'' (2002) – a "homegrown" release of songs recorded during the ''Simple Soul'' sessions. During this time, Reader also recorded the song "Ocean Love" for the soundtrack of the animated Danish film ''

Help! I'm a Fish ''Help! I'm A Fish'' ( da, Hjælp, jeg er en fisk; also known as ''A Fish Tale'') is a 2000 Danish-German-Irish traditionally animated science fantasy musical film directed by Stefan Fjeldmark, Greg Manwaring and Michael Hegner, and written by S ...

'' (2001). Reader also contributed vocals to one of

Big Country Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it has retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scot ...

's final singles before

Stuart Adamson William Stuart Adamson (11 April 1958 – 16 December 2001) was a Scottish rock guitarist and singer. Adamson began his career in the late 1970s as a founding member and performer with the punk rock band Skids. After leaving Skids in 1981, he ...

's death, " Fragile Thing".

''Sings the Songs of Robert Burns'' (1994–2007)

Reader continued to tour (England, Scotland, Japan, Australia, Spain, the United States, and Ireland). In 2003, she recorded her album of material by Robert Burns, with the

Royal Scottish National Orchestra The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) ( gd, Orcastra Nàiseanta Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a British orchestra, based in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of the five National performing arts companies of Scotland, national performing arts compa ...

, leading to good reviews and an international resurgence in interest in Scotland's "

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...

". In 2004, Reader sang at the re-opening of the new

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

building, where she was presented to

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

. She has described the experience: "I was honoured to sing at the opening of the parliament although I almost didn’t get to. I wanted to sing ‘

Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...

' as I thought that would have been perfect for the politicians with everyone shaking hands but they wanted me to sing it in 'F’ key and that wasn't the key for me so I told them I wasn't doing it. It was only at the last minute that I eventually agreed." She spent April 2006 touring Australia with

Boo Hewerdine Mark "Boo" Hewerdine (born 14 February 1961) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. His work includes lead singer and creative force behind The Bible, formed in the 1980s, and reformed in 1994, as well as solo recordings and work f ...

and Alan Kelly, following the release of ''St Clare's Night Out: Live at The Basement'', with Australian acts such as David Hosking invited to open the concerts. Reader's eighth studio album, ''

Peacetime Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

'', was released in 2007 on the Rough Trade record label. Produced by fellow Scottish

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

musician,

John McCusker John McCusker (born 15 May 1973) is a Scottish folk musician, record producer, and composer. An accomplished fiddle player, he had a long association as a member of the Battlefield Band beginning in the 1990s and was later a band member and p ...

, the album features a few Burns composed songs, alongside original material with long-time collaborator

and

' John Douglas.

''Love Is the Way'' (2008–2010)

In spring 2008, Reader was a special guest at the

Hotel Cafe Tour Cary Brothers (born 1974) is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee, United States. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained ...

hosted by

Tom McRae Jeremy Thomas McRae Blackall (born 19 March 1969), better known by his stage name Tom McRae, is an English singer-songwriter. Career The son of two Church of England vicars, McRae sang in the church choir and as a teen experimented with his m ...

. In 2009, she performed in period-drama ''

Me and Orson Welles ''Me and Orson Welles'' is a 2008 period drama film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Zac Efron, Christian McKay, and Claire Danes. Based on Robert Kaplow's novel of the same name, the story, set in 1937 New York, tells of a teenager hire ...

'',Filmography by year for Eddi Reader
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012. directed by

Richard Linklater Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies '' ...

and starring

Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...

Christian McKay Christian Stuart McKay (born 30 December 1973) is an English stage and screen actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Orson Welles in the 2008 film ''Me and Orson Welles'', for which he was nominated for over two dozen awards includi ...

and

Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, ''Time'' named her one of the 100 most influentia ...

. Reader performed re-arranged 1930s standards, with

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...

, with whom she had previously collaborated on the single "Waiting Game". To commemorate the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth, Reader released '' The Songs of Robert Burns Deluxe Edition'' in January 2009. The new release brought together the original Burns album with seven additional songs, two from the original 2003 sessions ("Green Grow the Rashes O", "Of A' the Airts"), three from 2007's ''

'' ("Ye banks and Braes", "Aye Waukin O" and "Leezie Lindsay") the unreleased "Dainty Davie", also from that session, and a brand new recording, "Comin' Thro the Rye/Dram Behind the Curtain". The new album was promoted, like the original release, with two sold-out shows at the annual

Celtic Connections The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of tra ...

festival in Glasgow. In 2009 Reader released her ninth studio album, '' Love is the Way'', which was self-produced. In a special arrangement with record label Rough Trade she sold an exclusive, pre-released and minimally-packaged version of the disc on her 19-date autumn 2008 UK tour.

''Vagabond'' and recent work (2010–present)

In early 2010, Reader appeared on the Irish language album '' Ceol '10 Súil Siar'', singing an Irish language version of the

song "Perfect" called "Foirfe". In December she released a live album on her own label and sold exclusively via her online store, ''Live in Japan''. Recorded from the sound desk at her Japan shows in September 2009, it was mastered and mixed by Mark Freegard who had worked on the 2009 album '' Love is the Way''.

Personal life

In 2013, Reader married John Douglas, a songwriter and member of

The Trashcan Sinatras Trashcan Sinatras are a Scottish band that were formed in Irvine, Scotland in 1986. The band's music makes frequent use of pop harmonies and wordplay. History Formation The band members met through the club/pub music scene in Irvine. The o ...

Politics

Her 2013 appearance on the British TV programme ''

Question Time A question time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers (including the prime minister), which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be ca ...

'' was publicly criticised, with one viewer threatening on Twitter to cut her tongue out. Reader has said she is "an egalitarian who believes in the autonomy of small nations, it's unconscionable that those who call people 'nationalists' for wanting their country to manage its own wealth, do not recognise the 'nationalistic' choice of supporting a 'BRITISH nation'". Reader said that, in reprisal for her advocacy for Scottish independence, Lord David Steel said in a debate on Scottish independence in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

that Reader's work on Robert Burns was "murdering Burns' simple melodies". Reader also said that the newspaper ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

'', in reprisal for Reader choosing to advocate a Yes vote, had published a story mischaracterising her political views and misrepresenting her great-uncle as a

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

and leader in the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

, stating: "there’s people out there in Scotland, especially in the Press, and especially at The Scotsman — which is a very wrong name for that paper, because they don’t believe in Scotland at all; they believe in London management — who believe that Scots do not deserve the vote. I don’t want to be in that team." She issued a formal appeal to the

Press Complaints Commission The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Indep ...

(PCC), saying that: "The article was trying to portray ALL people wanting to have Scots running Scotland and independence voters as having links with the early Fascists. The journalist scrapped around and tried to attach my great-uncle, who supported independence, to a 'Nazi' group and a terrorist organisation, creating hateful responses and threats to my family." The PCC ruled in May 2013 that the image in the story, accompanied by the headline ‘Klan Alba’, did not breach the Editor’s Code of Practice. Reader is writing a book for publication about her great-uncle Seamus (or James) Reader, based on his extensive diaries. He was head of the Scottish Brigade of the

Irish Republican Brotherhood The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; ) was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland between 1858 and 1924.McGee, p. 15. Its counterpart in the United States ...

, when the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

broke out in 1919, later becoming a founder of the abortive Scottish Republican Army, which attempted to replicate the Irish struggle in Scotland between the wars. On Facebook, she posted that he: "was in command of 4,000 Scots involved in the Irish Rising build-up and the Irish war against The British state. In telling the story I felt my ancestor was passing the baton to me to tell the truthful story of this time". Reader has been an advocate for the

Yes Scotland Yes Scotland was the organisation representing the parties, organisations, and individuals campaigning for a ''Yes'' vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. It was launched on 25 May 2012 and dissolved in late 2014 after Scotland voted ...

movement, campaigning for a Yes vote in the referendum for

Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...

from the United Kingdom.

Awards

The Robert Burns project saw Reader awarded an

for outstanding contributions to the arts in the New Year's honours list of 2006. In May 2007, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

. Later that year she was recognised for her contributions to music and to the education and encouragement of young musicians with an honorary doctorate and a Doctor of Letters from

Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University ( gd, Oilthigh Chailleannach Ghlaschu, ), informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley, is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded in 1875) and G ...

. In June 2008 she received another doctorate for her musical work, this time from the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built w ...

, and in 2013 she received an honorary doctor of music award from the University of Edinburgh. {, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result , - , rowspan=2, 1989 , rowspan=2,

Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

, " Perfect" , Best British Single , , - , ''

'' , Best British Album , , - , rowspan=3, 1995 ,

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

, " Patience of Angels" , Best Song Musically & Lyrically , , - ,

, " Dear John" , Best Song Musically & Lyrically , , - , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2, Herself , rowspan=2, Best British Female , , - , 1997 ,

Discography

Albums

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , + List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;", Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2", Details ! scope="col" colspan="1", Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;",

Certifications Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

, - ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;", UK
, - !scope="row", ''

'' , * Released: 12 October 1992 * Label:

, 34 , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , * Released: 20 June 1994 * Label:

Blanco y Negro Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involved ...

, 4 , * BPI: Gold , - !scope="row", '' Candyfloss and Medicine'' , * Released: 8 July 1996 * Label:

, 24 , , - !scope="row", '' Angels & Electricity'' , * Released: 11 May 1998 * Label:

, 49 , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , * Released: 9 January 2001 * Label: Rough Trade , 92 , * , - !scope="row", ''

'' , * Released: 8 October 2001 * Label: Rough Trade , — , , - !scope="row", '' Sings the Songs of Robert Burns'' , * Released: 12 May 2003 * Label: Rough Trade , 86 , * BPI: Silver , - !scope="row", ''

'' , * Released: 29 January 2007 * Label: Rough Trade , 93 , , - !scope="row", '' Love Is the Way'' , * Released: 13 April 2009 * Label: Rough Trade , 109 , , - !scope="row", ''

Vagabond Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, temporar ...

'' , * Released: 13 April 2009 * Label: Reveal , 93 , , - !scope="row", ''Cavalier'' , * Released: 28 September 2018 * Label: Reveal , — , , - !scope="row", ''Light Is In The Horizon'' , * Released: 1 April 2022 * Label:

Vertical Records Vertical Records is an independent record label founded by Capercaillie member Donald Shaw in 2000, based in Glasgow, Scotland. Releases The label has predominantly focused on Celtic and roots music, with releases from Michael McGoldrick ('' ...

, — ,

Singles

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , - ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;", Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;", Year ! scope="col" colspan="1", Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" , Album , - ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;", UK
, - !scope="row", "All Or Nothing" , 1991 , — , rowspan=2, ''

'' , - !scope="row", "What You Do With What You've Got" , 1992 , — , - !scope="row", " Patience of Angels" , rowspan=3, 1994 , 33 , rowspan=3, ''

'' , - !scope="row", " Joke (I'm Laughing)" , 42 , - !scope="row", " Dear John" , 48 , - !scope="row", " Nobody Lives Without Love" , 1995 , 84 , ''

Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment of W ...

'' , - !scope="row", "

Town Without Pity ''Town Without Pity'' (German: ''Stadt ohne Mitleid'') is a 1961 American/Swiss/West German international co-production drama film directed by Gottfried Reinhardt. Produced by The Mirisch Corporation, the film stars Kirk Douglas, Barbara Rütti ...

" , rowspan=3, 1996 , 26 , rowspan=2, '' Candyfloss and Medicine'' , - !scope="row", "Medicine" , 100 , - !scope="row", "Waiting Game" (with

) , — , ''Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll'' , - !scope="row", "Prayer Wheel" , 1998 , — , '' Angels & Electricity'' , - !scope="row", " Fragile Thing" (with

) , rowspan=2, 1999 , 69 , ''

Driving to Damascus ''Driving to Damascus'' is the eighth studio album by Scottish rock band Big Country. It was released in 1999 as both a standard edition and a limited edition digipack, and with bonus tracks in 2002. In the U.S., it was released under a differ ...

'' , - !scope="row", "Ususal Thing" (with Little Tempo &

Linton Kwesi Johnson Linton Kwesi Johnson (born 24 August 1952), also known as LKJ, is a Jamaica-born, British-based dub poet and activist. In 2002 he became the second living poet, and the only black one, to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series. His ...

) , — , , - !scope="row", "The Girl Who Fell in Love with the Moon" , rowspan=2, 2001 , — , rowspan=2, ''

'' , - !scope="row", "Prodigal Daughter"/"Simple Soul" , — , - !scope="row", "Holiday" , rowspan=2, 2002 , — , ''

'' , - !scope="row", "May You Never" (with

David Knopfler David Knopfler (born 27 December 1952) is a British singer-songwriter. He was born in Scotland and raised in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, from the age of two. Together with his older brother Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, and Pick Withers, he f ...

) , — , ''Wishbones'' , - !scope="row", "

"/"Wild Mountainside" , rowspan=2, 2003 , — , rowspan=2, '' Sings the Songs of Robert Burns'' , - !scope="row", "

My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose "A Red, Red Rose" is a 1794 in music, 1794 song in Scots language, Scots by Robert Burns based on traditional sources. The song is also referred to by the title "(Oh) My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose" and is often published as a poem. Many compos ...

"/"Jamie Come Try Me" , — , - !scope="row", "Muddy Water" , 2007 , — , ''

'' , - !scope="row", "Roses" , rowspan=2, 2009 , — , rowspan=2, '' Love Is the Way'' , - !scope="row", "Dragonflies" , — , - !scope="row", "Baby's Boat" , 2013 , — , rowspan=2, ''

'' , - !scope="row", "Back The Dogs (Dancing Down Rock)" , 2014 , — , - !scope="row", "Starlight" , 2018 , — , ''Cavalier'' , - , colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" , "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

* ''Eddi Reader Live'' (2001) * ''Eddi Reader Live: Edinburgh'' (2003) * ''Eddi Reader Live: Newcastle'' (2003) * ''Eddi Reader Live: Leeds'' (2003) * ''Eddi Reader Live: London'' (2003) * ''St Clare's Night Out: Live at The Basement'' (2006) * ''Port Fairy Folk Festival'' (2008) * ''Live in Japan'' (2010)

Fairground Attraction

* ''

'' (1988) * ''

Ay Fond Kiss ''Ay Fond Kiss'' is the second and final studio album released by British group Fairground Attraction. It was released on 18 June 1990. The title is a misspelling of the Robert Burns poem "Ae Fond Kiss", which lead singer Eddi Reader also covered ...

'' (1990) * ''Kawasaki – Live in Japan 02.07.89'' (2003) * ''The Very Best of Fairground Attraction'' (2004)

Film soundtracks

* '' Batman Forever: Music from the Motion Picture'' (1995) ** " Nobody Lives Without Love"Soundtracks for ''Batman Forever'' (1995)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012. * ''

Bed of Roses A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax. Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many b ...

'' (1996) ** "

The Right Place ''The Right Place'' is the third studio album by American country music artist Bryan White. It was released in 1997 (see 1997 in country music) on Asylum Records. The album produced four chart singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & T ...

"Soundtracks for ''Bed of Roses'' (1996)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012. * ''

Love & Sex ''Love & Sex'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Valerie Breiman. It stars Famke Janssen and Jon Favreau. Plot When her rather explicit article on oral sex is rejected, magazine journalist Kate Welles is told by her e ...

'' (2000) ** "Honeychild"Soundtracks for ''Love & Sex'' (2000)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012. * '' My First Mister'' (2001) ** "Bell, Book and Candle" (1999)Soundtracks for ''My First Mister'' (2001)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

Collections

* ''The Blanco Y Negro Years'' (2015) * ''The Best Of Eddi Reader'' (2016)

References

External links

Official website

Video of 3 tracks from the Auld Lang Syne concert on BBC's Celtic Connections site – live performance – January 2009
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reader, Eddi 1959 births Living people Brit Award winners Members of the Order of the British Empire Musicians from Glasgow 21st-century Scottish women singers Blanco y Negro Records artists RCA Records artists Rough Trade Records artists Scottish buskers Scottish singer-songwriters 20th-century Scottish women singers