Ian Bairnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ian Bairnson
|
|
|---|---|
Bairnson photographed in 1982
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Bairnson |
| Born | 3 August 1953 Lerwick, Shetland Isles, Scotland |
| Died | 7 April 2023 (aged 69) |
| Genres | Soft rock |
| Occupation(s) | Multi-instrumentalist |
| Instruments | Guitar, saxophone, keyboard |
| Years active | 1968–2019 |
| Associated acts | The Alan Parsons Project, Kate Bush, Bucks Fizz, Junk, Pilot, Keats |
Ian Bairnson (born John Bairnson; 3 August 1953 – 7 April 2023) was a Scottish musician. He was famous for being a main member of The Alan Parsons Project. Ian was a multi-instrumentalist, meaning he played many instruments. He played saxophone and keyboards, but he was best known for playing the guitar. He even preferred to use a sixpence coin instead of a regular guitar pick!
Besides his work with The Alan Parsons Project, Ian Bairnson was also part of the band Pilot. He played guitar on five albums for the singer Kate Bush. This included the famous guitar solo on her first hit song, "Wuthering Heights", in 1978.
Contents
Early Life and Music
Ian Bairnson was born in Lerwick, a town in Shetland, Scotland. He grew up in another Shetland village called Levenwick. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Edinburgh after his father passed away. Ian started learning to play the guitar when he was just six years old.
Pilot and The Alan Parsons Project
Before joining bands, Ian was a session musician. This means he was a guitarist who was hired to play on recordings for different artists. In 1973, he joined the band Pilot with David Paton and Billy Lyall. He played the harmony guitar parts on their popular song "Magic".
While working with Pilot, Ian first met Alan Parsons. Alan was the record producer for Pilot's first album. A record producer helps guide the making of music. This meeting led to many of Pilot's members joining The Alan Parsons Project. Ian played a special guitar solo on the song "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" from Parsons' 1977 album, I Robot.
Ian was the main guitarist on every album by The Alan Parsons Project. This included a side project called Keats in 1984. In 2019, Ian added guitar solos to two songs, "Years of Glory" and "I Can't Get There from Here", on Alan Parsons' album The Secret.
Other Music Work
Ian played on Kate Bush's first four albums: The Kick Inside (1978), Lionheart (1978), Never for Ever (1980), and The Dreaming (1982). His guitar solo on "Wuthering Heights" is especially well-known.
He also worked with the band Bucks Fizz. He helped write two of their songs that became "Top 20" hits in the UK. These were "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982) and "Run for Your Life" (1983).
In 2009, he played on an album by German bass player Chris Postl. Ian toured with many different bands. His last band was called Junk. During his career as a session musician, he played on over a hundred albums for artists like Joe Cocker, Jon Anderson, Chris DeBurgh, and Neil Diamond. He also played live with famous musicians such as Sting and Eric Clapton.
After moving back to the UK in 2013, Ian worked with David Paton again. They made an album called A Pilot Project. This album honored the music of Eric Woolfson, who was a key part of The Alan Parsons Project. In 2016, Paton and Bairnson toured Japan, playing songs from Pilot and The Alan Parsons Project.
Personal Life
From 2003 to 2013, Ian Bairnson lived in Spain. There, he had a recording studio and continued to work as a guitarist for hire.
In 2018, his wife, Leila, shared that Ian had been diagnosed with a serious brain condition. This condition made it hard for him to communicate, so he stopped playing music in public.
Death
Ian Bairnson passed away on 7 April 2023. His wife, Leila, announced that he died after a long struggle with dementia. Dementia is a condition that affects memory and thinking skills. Before he died, Ian was living in a hospital and a care home.
