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Gary is from a small village in the north west highlands called Spean Bridge, just north of Fort William. He started playing the accordion at the age of 9 with his dad getting him started on a small 8 bass accordion that he had learnt from himself. Things took off from there and as he started to get lessons Gary’s enthusiasm grew for the accordion “if only he knew then what a horrible life this would bring him”. During high school, being only 13 years old, he was part of a band called Alban, which sadly parted because they were missing all the girls at the disco on a Friday and Saturday night. At 14 he joined a band called the Cach Mhor Ceilidh Band which were more a mad rock and roll band than a Rabbie Shepherd ceilidh band and toured all over Scotland, England, Ireland and a wee trip to France, also performing on a television drama programme with them. At 17 he left home and moved north to Thurso for a year to do an HNC in music and engineering. He then returned, and worked in the family business for a year before moving to Glasgow to pursue his musical career. He got a job as a labourer, but it wasn't long before Gary had enough work to quit the day job - so to speak - and play the box for a living. Gary has since played for film stars, royalty, and has more recently been away to far and distant lands playing his accordion and was also on the Hogmanay Live this year on BBC1.
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