Birth name Calum Macdonald Children Donald Macdonald Occupation(s) Teacher, musician Siblings Rory Macdonald | Role Songwriter Origin Isle of Skye, Scotland Name Calum MacDonald | |
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Albums 30 Year Journey: The Best, The Cutter and the Clan, Day of Days, Party on the Moor, In Search of Angels | ||
Years active 1965–68; 1973–present | ||
Calum MacDonald (Scottish Gaelic: Calum MacDhomhnaill; born 12 November 1953) is the percussionist of the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, as well as their primary songwriter with his older brother, Rory MacDonald. Rory tends to write the melody, and Calum the lyrics. Since former lead singer Donnie Munro left the band in 1997, Rory has taken lead vocal duties on songs in the band's catalogue written in the Scots Gaelic language, as the band's new lead singer, Bruce Guthro, is not a Gaelic speaker.
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Early life
His brother Rory was born in Dornoch, Sutherland. His father, Donald John MacDonald of Scalpay, was a World War II veteran. The family moved to North Uist, when Rory was about four years old. Calum MacDonald himself was born in Lochmaddy, North Uist.
When the time came for Rory to attend High School, which at the time was situated in Portree, on the Isle of Skye, the whole family moved en masse. It was in Skye that the brothers formed Runrig along with Blair Douglas and subsequently Donnie Munro.
MacDonald attended Jordanhill College and worked as a P.E. teacher until Runrig went 'professional'.
Later life
During the 1980s, MacDonald's Christian faith deepened and this influence began to be felt in his lyrical content, in both Gaelic and English. He was based in Edinburgh for the 1980s and early 1990s before re-locating his young family to Contin in the Highlands. MacDonald has contributed main vocals to a handful of Runrig tunes, including Dust and Faileas air an Airigh.
His son, Donald MacDonald - affectionately known as Seeds - is also a songwriter and performer and has his own band Donald MacDonald & the Islands.