TICH FRIER
SONGSTER & HUMOURIST

 

Tich first started singing seriously at the age of seven at St Mary's Cathedral Choir School in his native Edinburgh. He remained with the choir until he was fifteen and for his last three years there was head chorister. This explains where the big voice comes from.

About this time his interest in Scottish folk music was stirred by programmes like "Hootenanny" and seeing Robin Hall & Jimmie MacGregor on the "Tonight" show on BBC TV.
As the Triangle Folk Club in the YWCA was just starting he trawled along there with his pal Davey Johnston on guitar and the Carrick Folk were born. The boys seemed to click instantly and in a short time were sharing stages with the likes of Robin & Jimmie, Carthy & Swarbrick, Archie Fisher and in Liverpool, a young singer/songwriter called Willy Russell. After a couple of years together Tich and Davey went their separate ways, Davey moving to London as he was always destined to do.
He is now playing guitar for a piano player called Elton John.

At the age of eighteen Tich was a regular singer at all the Edinburgh folk clubs and after a particularly memorable night at The Buffs FC Andy Ramage, Lesley (she's a girl) Hale and he decided, after all of five minutes singing together, to become one. That one was the much loved harmony trio, Bitter Withy.

Thus began many years of singing and travelling. Sometimes living on fresh air and joy, sometimes alcohol fuelled, all establishing Tich Frier as one of the great voices of the Scottish folk scene.