National Theatre of Scotland

A celebration of the life of Thomas Fraser.

An evening of song and story-telling in the hands of Orcadian western swingers The Lone Star Swing Band, with novelist, playwright and musician Duncan McLean at the helm.

An evening designed to set your toes tapping, your heart racing and your emotions running high.

Thomas Fraser (1927 - 1978) was a fisherman and crofter from the remote island of Burra, Shetland - and one of Scotland’s least known but most fascinating musical heroes.

Obsessed with country and the blues, Thomas mastered the styles of his idols - like Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and Big Bill Broonzy - and made their songs his own. A shy, retiring man, he avoided public performance. Instead, he gave away to family and friends tapes he lovingly recorded in the croft.

Thomas laughed at the idea that the wider world might appreciate his talent. But thirty years after his untimely death, those precious, fragile tapes have been reissued on several CDs, and his fame has spread to Nashville.

Long Gone blog

Catch up with the Lone Star Swing Band in rehearsals and on tour through our regular blog updates.