Donnie Munro

Donnie Munro
Born	(1953-08-02) 2 August 1953 Uig, Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire, Scotland
Origin	Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire, Scotland
Genres	Folk rock
Instruments	Acoustic guitar
Years active	1973–present
Labels	Greentrax
Associated acts	Runrig, Niall Munro
Website	www.donniemunro.co.uk

Donnie Munro (Donaidh Rothach) (born 2 August 1953) is a Scottish musician, and former lead singer of the band Runrig.

A native speaker of Scottish Gaelic, much of his work is in that language.

Early life

Munro was born in Uig, Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides. He attended Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen and earned a postgraduate degree in teaching at Moray House in Edinburgh.

Music career

He first saw Runrig play in 1973 and was approached one year later to become a member of the band. As lead singer of Runrig, Munro became established as the leading Gaelic popular music performer of the 1980s and 1990s.

Munro left Runrig in 1997 to pursue a career in politics. His final performance was a farewell concert at Stirling Castle on 29 August.

Munro now enjoys a successful solo career. His most recent album, Heart of America, done in collaboration with fellow Skye songwriters Blair Douglas and Richard Macintyre, won Album of the Year in the Scottish TradMusic Awards 2006. He continues to work as the Director of Development at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland's National Centre for the Gaelic Language and Culture on Skye.

Munro completed a series of acclaimed live shows titled 'An Turas - The Journey', with a forty piece ensemble and is preparing for the release of a live album, recorded at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, during Celtic Connections 2008.

For Runrig's 40th anniversary at the Black Isle show ground at Muir of Ord on 10 August 2013, Munro appeared as a special guest and performed three songs.

Politics

Munro was elected as Rector of the University of Edinburgh in 1991, a position he held until 1994. He contested the UK Parliamentary seat of Ross, Skye and Inverness West in the 1997 General Election but was defeated by Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrat). He then contested the Scottish Parliament seat of Ross, Skye and Inverness West at the Scottish parliamentary election, 1999 for Labour, but was defeated by Liberal Democrat John Farquhar Munro. These necessitated his leaving the band, which he did in 1997. His reasons for departure were a matter for lengthy private discussion over a two-year period but were never the subject of public discourse.

Munro was alleged to have given up the offer of a 'safe' Labour seat in Central Scotland as he had already agreed and been adopted as a candidate to contest his own native Highland constituency, coming close to winning this hitherto safe Liberal Democrat seat in the 1999 Scottish election.

Honours

In 1996 he gave the prestigious Sabhal Mòr Lecture.

In 1998 Munro was elected as the first rector of the UHI Millennium Institute, a post that lasted 3 years.

Academic offices
Preceded by Muriel Gray	Rector of the University of Edinburgh 1991–1994	Succeeded by Malcolm Macleod
Preceded by New position	Rector of the UHI Millennium Institute 1998–2001	Succeeded by Sir Alistair MacFarlane

Discography

Studio albums

• On The West Side (1999)
• Across The City And The World (2002)
• Gaelic Heart (2003)
• Heart Of America (Across The Great Divide) (2006)

Live albums

• Donnie Munro Live (2000)
• Donnie Munro And Friends (2006)
• Donnie Munro Live - An Turas (2008)
• Sweet Surrender - Live Acoustic (2015)

Compilation albums

• Fields Of The Young (2004)
• Donnie Munro - Best Of (2005)

External links

• Official Website
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Website