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Ian Powrie’s first broadcast was at the tender age of twelve, when he played solo violin on The Children’s Hour.
A superb exponent of the violin, he has been involved with his band and as a solo artist in the Scottish dance scene all his life. He played piano accordion in his father’s band before forming his own band with brother Bill in 1947, when they passed an audition with the BBC and broadcast regularly. The first Powrie band was a five-piece group featuring Ian on violin, Bill on chromatic accordion, Pam Brough on piano, Bert Smith, bass and Hugh MacIntyre, drums. The band increased to a six-piece in 1948 when Jack Ewan on piano accordion joined, followed by Alex MacArthur in 1951. Various changes took place with Jimmy Blue coming in for Bill Powrie and Arthur Easson replacing the drummer but the biggest change and what made the signature ‘Powrie band sound’ was the addition of accordionist Mickey Ainsworth in 1954.
The band became one of the busiest around the Scottish dance scene and were regulars on the popular television programmes The White Heather Club and The Kilt is my Delight. The entertainer Andy Stewart engaged the band for his theatre shows and took them on tour twice to Australia and New Zealand but after the second tour Ian Powrie decided to emigrate to Australia and Jimmy Blue took over as band leader.
Many thought that the final Ian Powrie Band must go down as one of the greatest of all the Scottish dance bands.
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