http://www.allcelticmusic.com/artists/Charlie%20Cowie.html

(Sorry to be advertising another mail order company, but it was the best information link I could find)

"Seán Ó Riada (1 August 1931 - 3 October 1971), was a composer and perhaps the single most influential figure in the revival of Irish traditional music during the 1960s. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se%C3%A1n_%C3%93_Riada

http://www.tradmusichall.com/bobbymacleod.html

Some more if you want:

This combination was really pretty magical at its best - Norman Stewart and Janice Clark

http://themusicgatherer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/iolair-music-and-song-from-scotland.html

And I don't suppose your younger readers realise just how big and ahead of his time this guy was:

The truly legendary Alan Stivell. He could fill places like The Usher Hall no bother. There was a story that at the end of a gig which I think was at The Playhouse, Edinburgh he led the audience onto the street with his bagpipes.

Listen to 'The Ian Morrison Reel' (actually John Morrison Of Assynt House), from his 1973 album Chemins A Terre. 1973 ! ! ! Years ahead of the Peatbog Faeries and bands like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z0lqKOK1Kg

Denfinitely one to remember for me.

As for me, the musician I try to keep well in mind is whistle player Jimmy Greenan from Edinburgh.

So, perhaps the question should be "Which musicians(and singers) were important to us in the past and we ought to be telling the youngsters about?" or something similar.

Both Norman and Janice are still fairly active but I think Gordon was specifically referring to the duo combination.

Ian Sinclair of Mirk is still very much us too but both he and the band are very worthy of a mention here.

In the case of Stivell, I once played 'The Ian Morrison Reel' to my kids and some of their young musician friends. They were astonished that a band sounded like that so many years ago.

Sean O'Riada is a hugely important figure in Celtic music, and it would be good if people remembered his influence.

It reminded me of Jimmy Elliot on guitar.

What a patronising statement Simon!
One which (though I've never met you) I would hope you'd regret!

MIRK as they were known, boasted one of the finest Scottish female singing voices in the form of Marge Sinclair (wife of fiddler/guitarist Ian) who along with Ray Crompton played festivals all over Scotland and England to great acclaim without Jim Sutherland who was with them for a relatively short time!
Apart from Margie's distinctive voice, the original and wonderful songs penned by Ian kept them to the fore of the Scottish Folk music scene for many the day!

Can such artistes be so easily forgotten?

Marge was indeed a great singer and some of Ian's songs are already classics, e.g. "The King's Shilling"(often mistakenly thought of as traditional) and "Tak a dram afore ye go"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFjfx0EqbxE etc.
Both of these are now in Siobhan Miller's repertoire but her dad was also an honorary member of MIRK from time to time. Not a lot of people know that.....
:-)

Ray Crompton was no slouch either and played harmonium, mandola, guitar, mandolin. He also contributed vocals to the band.

Margie's voice is stunning, and I could sit and listen to her all night long!

Ian's songs and tunes are magnificent, and it is good to hear some - eg The King's Shilling - being sung again.

I recall a story that Margie told that she was judging a TMSA competition when a lady sang this song, despite Margie trying to point out to her that it was not traditional. She was taken aback when Margie told her that her husband had written it just a few years earlier!

"Margie Sinclair from folk band Mirk, who played at the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday party among several performances at Mey, said: ‘The Queen Mother was extremely knowledgeable, well-read and enthusiastic about Scottish music. She was very much a party person and loved music and dancing.
‘She was an excellent hostess. She was warm, with a mischievous sense of humour and made you feel instantly at ease.

‘She always insisted on getting photographs taken and there is one, which I treasure to this day, where she is holding up our album covers. It would have been a fantastic
publicity boost for us, but we kept it private.’"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365713/She-ska-music-The-secrets-Queen-Mothers-record-collection-yodelling-Canadian-cowboy-Paul-Simon.html

Not a lot of people know that...... now you know more, Simon.
-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDhfqy4S6hI