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Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
and
soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...
band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three Brit Awards. In 2003, she showcased the works of Scotland's national poet,
Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...
.


Early career

Reader was born in
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, Scotland, the daughter of a
welder A welder is a person or equipment that fuses materials together. The term welder refers to the operator, the machine is referred to as the welding power supply. The materials to be joined can be metals (such as steel, aluminum, brass, stainles ...
and the eldest of seven children; her brother Francis is vocalist with the band Trashcan Sinatras, and her grandmother Sadie Smith was a leading Scottish footballer. She was nicknamed Edna by her parents. Living at first in the district of
Anderston Anderston (, ) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is on the north bank of the River Clyde and forms the south western edge of the city centre. Established as a village of handloom weavers in the early 18th century, Anderston was an independent ...
, in a tenement slum demolished in 1965, the young Reader family moved to a two-bedroomed flat in the estate of Arden.My Schooldays: Eddie Reader
The Scotsman, 22 May 2002
In 1976, due to overcrowding, the family was rehoused 25 miles from Glasgow, in a council development in Irvine,
North Ayrshire North Ayrshire (, ) is one of 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and s ...
. However, Reader returned to Glasgow (where she lived with her grandmother in
Pollok Pollok (, ) is a large housing estate on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The estate was built either side of World War II to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,000 at its peak, its population ha ...
) to finish her compulsory schooling. She began playing the guitar at the age of ten, and started her musical career
busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuity, gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performa ...
, first in Glasgow's
Sauchiehall Street Sauchiehall Street () is one of the main shopping streets in the Glasgow city centre, city centre of Glasgow, Scotland, along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, Glasgow, Argyle Street. Although commonly associated with the city centre, Sau ...
, then in the early 1980s in London and around Europe (where she also worked with
circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
and performance artists). Back in Scotland, while finding factory work in Irvine and working part-time in Sirocco Recording Studio in
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...
, she answered an advert in the music press and travelled to London to audition and join the
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
band
Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...
, who needed a backing vocalist for their appearance on British television music show ''
The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music series broadcast by the BBC. It was devised by producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough, and aired on BBC2 from ...
'' and for their UK tour. This led to her first US tour with the band. After returning to the UK and leaving the band, she started working as a session vocalist in London, picking up work singing jingles for radio advertisements and singing with such acts as
Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...
,
The Waterboys The Waterboys are a rock band formed in 1983 by Scottish musician and songwriter Mike Scott (Scottish musician), Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Britain and Ireland, with Scott re ...
, Billy Mackenzie of the Associates,
John Foxx John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh; 26 September 1948) is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the New wave music, new wave band Ultravox, before leaving ...
of
Ultravox Ultravox (earlier styled as Ultravox!) were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which wa ...
and
Alison Moyet Geneviève Alison Jane Ballard (; ; born 18 June 1961), formerly known as Alf, is an English singer. Noted for her powerful bluesy contralto voice, she came to prominence as a member of the synth-pop duo Yazoo (band), Yazoo (known as Yaz in Nor ...
.


Fairground Attraction

In 1984, Reader returned to the UK from Paris, where she had been working as a singer for the Romanian composer
Vladimir Cosma Vladimir Cosma (born 13 April 1940) is a Romanian composer, conductor and violinist, who has made his career in France and the United States. He was born into a family of Jewish musicians. His father, Teodor Cosma, was a pianist and conductor, h ...
. Through her contact with the brass section session musicians Kick Horns in London, she signed a
recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...
with EMI, and recorded two singles with the
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
group Outbar Squeek. Around the same time, she met and asked Mark E. Nevin, a guitarist and songwriter from the band Jane Aire and the Belvederes to write for her and they recorded two songs as 'The Academy of Fine Popular Music'. They subsequently formed Fairground Attraction, together with Simon Edwards ( guitarrón – a Mexican acoustic bass guitar) and Roy Dodds (drums and percussion). In 1988, the band signed to the
RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...
and BMG labels and released their first single, " Perfect", which became a UK number one, winning best single at the 1989 Brit Awards. Their debut studio album, '' The First of a Million Kisses'', was also a success, reaching number two in the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, and winning best album at the 1989 Brits. This success was short-lived, however. In November 1989, after a break, during which Reader had her first child, Charlie, with her French-Algerian partner Milou, arguments arose within the group, and Nevin abandoned a recording session for their second studio album, which eventually led to the break-up of the band. A makeshift second album, a collection of B-sides and live tracks, '' Ay Fond Kiss'', was rushed out the following year. In 2024, the band's original line-up announced a Japan and UK tour, and reunited for an album titled "Beautiful Happening", set for release on September 20th 2024. A first single, "What's Wrong With The World ?", was released in February, followed by the album's title track in June.


Solo career


''Mirmama'' and ''Eddi Reader'' (1992–1994)

Reader returned to Scotland, but before she embarked on her solo career she took a temporary detour into acting. She played Jolene Jowett, a singer and
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
ist, in John Byrne's ''Your Cheatin' Heart'', a comedy-drama series for
BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...
, set in the
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
scene in Scotland. In 1993, Reader was the presenter of
BBC Scotland BBC Scotland is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. Its headquarters are in Glasgow, employing approximately 1,250 staff as of 2017, to produce 15,000 hours of television and radio programming per year. BBC Scotla ...
's '' No Stilettos'', a music performance programme recorded in Glasgow. Her other acting credits include playing the part of ''Joy 3'' from the Michael Boyd (artistic director of the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
) production of Janice Galloway's ''The Trick Is to Keep Breathing''. This was a
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
production in 1996 and also a
Tron Theatre The Tron Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. The theatre was formerly known as the Tron Kirk. It began as the Collegiate Church of Our Lady and St. Anne. The Tron Theatre building is home to the Tron Theatre Company and serves as a prod ...
production the same year. Returning to London, Reader worked on new material with a backing band calling itself the Patron Saints of Imperfection (made up of Roy Dodds, Neill and Calum MacColl, and Phil Steriopoulos). This became her debut solo studio album, recorded for
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
: 1992's '' Mirmama''. She met
Geoff Travis Geoff Travis (born 2 February 1952) is the founder of both Rough Trade Records and the Rough Trade chain of record shops. A former drama teacher and owner of a punk record shop, Travis founded the Rough Trade label in 1976. Biography Travis wa ...
who signed her to
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
subsidiary label,
Blanco y Negro Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involve ...
. The managing director Rob Dickens executively produced her second solo studio album ''
Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the Folk music, folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo caree ...
'' (1994), which won her the "Best Female Singer" Brit Award that year, followed by '' Candyfloss and Medicine'' (1996), and '' Angels & Electricity'' (1998). She parted ways with Warner Bros. and continued her work on Geoff Travis' Rough Trade label when she recorded '' Simple Soul'' (2001) and ''
Driftwood Driftwood is a wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. It is part of beach wrack. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides ...
'' (2002) – a "homegrown" release of songs recorded during the ''Simple Soul'' sessions. During this time, Reader also recorded the song "Ocean Love" for the soundtrack of the animated Danish film '' Help! I'm a Fish'' (2001). Reader also contributed backing vocals to one of
Big Country Big Country are a Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although they have retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music inc ...
's final singles before Stuart Adamson's death, " Fragile Thing".


''Sings the Songs of Robert Burns'' (1994–2007)

Reader continued to tour (England, Scotland, Japan, Australia, Spain, the United States, and Ireland). In 2003, she recorded her album of material by Robert Burns, with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, leading to good reviews and an international resurgence in interest in Scotland's "
bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's a ...
". In 2004, Reader sang at the re-opening of the new
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
building, where she was presented to
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
. She has described the experience: "I was honoured to sing at the opening of the parliament although I almost didn’t get to. I wanted to sing ‘
Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" () is a Scottish song. In the English-speaking world, it is traditionally sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay/New Year's Eve. It is also often heard at funerals, graduations, and as a far ...
' as I thought that would have been perfect for the politicians with everyone shaking hands but they wanted me to sing it in 'F’ key and that wasn't the key for me so I told them I wasn't doing it. It was only at the last minute that I eventually agreed." She spent April 2006 touring Australia with Boo Hewerdine and Alan Kelly, following the release of ''St Clare's Night Out: Live at The Basement'', with Australian acts such as David Hosking invited to open the concerts. Reader's eighth studio album, ''
Peacetime Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such a ...
'', was released in 2007 on the Rough Trade record label. Produced by fellow Scottish
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
musician, John McCusker, the album features a few Burns composed songs, alongside original material with long-time collaborator Boo Hewerdine and the Trash Can Sinatras' John Douglas.


''Love Is the Way'' (2008–2010)

In spring 2008, Reader was a special guest at the Hotel Cafe Tour hosted by Tom McRae. In 2009, she performed in period
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
'' Me and Orson Welles'',Filmography by year for Eddi Reader
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
directed by
Richard Linklater Richard Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. In 2015, Linklater was included on the annual ''Time'' 100 li ...
and starring
Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...
, Christian McKay and
Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, ''Time (magazine), Time'' named he ...
. Reader performed re-arranged 1930s standards, with
Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Jayne County, To ...
, with whom she had previously collaborated on the single "Waiting Game". To commemorate the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth, Reader released '' The Songs of Robert Burns Deluxe Edition'' in January 2009. The new release brought together the original Burns album with seven additional songs, two from the original 2003 sessions ("Green Grow the Rashes O", "Of A' the Airts"), three from 2007's ''
Peacetime Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such a ...
'' ("Ye banks and Braes", "Aye Waukin O" and "Leezie Lindsay") the unreleased "Dainty Davie", also from that session, and a brand new recording, "Comin' Thro the Rye/Dram Behind the Curtain". The new album was promoted, like the original release, with two sold-out shows at the annual
Celtic Connections The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of trad ...
festival in Glasgow. In 2009, Reader released her ninth studio album, '' Love Is the Way'', which was self-produced. In a special arrangement with record label Rough Trade she sold an exclusive, pre-released and minimally-packaged version of the disc on her 19-date autumn 2008 UK tour.


''Vagabond'' and recent work (2010–present)

In early 2010, Reader appeared on the Irish language album ''Ceol '10 Súil Siar'', singing an Irish language version of the Fairground Attraction song "Perfect" called "Foirfe". In December she released a live album on her own label and sold exclusively via her online store, ''Live in Japan''. Recorded from the sound desk at her Japan shows in September 2009, it was mastered and mixed by Mark Freegard who had worked on the Reader's ninth solo studio album '' Love Is the Way''.


Personal life

In 2013, Reader married John Douglas, a songwriter and member of Trashcan Sinatras alongside her brother Frank.


Political views

Reader has been an advocate for the
Yes Scotland Yes Scotland was the organisation representing the parties, organisations, and individuals campaigning for a ''Yes'' vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. It was launched on 25 May 2012 and dissolved in late 2014 after Scotland vot ...
movement, campaigning for a Yes vote in the referendum for
Scottish independence Scottish independence (; ) is the idea of Scotland regaining its independence and once again becoming a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom. The term Scottish independence refers to the political movement that is campaignin ...
from the United Kingdom. Her 2013 appearance on the British TV programme '' Question Time'' was publicly criticised, with one viewer threatening on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
to cut her tongue out. Reader has said she is "an
egalitarian Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all h ...
who believes in the autonomy of small nations, it's unconscionable that those who call people 'nationalists' for wanting their country to manage its own wealth, do not recognise the 'nationalistic' choice of supporting a 'BRITISH nation'". Reader said that, in reprisal for her advocacy for Scottish independence, Lord Steel of Aikwood said in a debate on Scottish independence in the
House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
that Reader's work on Robert Burns was "murdering Burns' simple melodies". Reader also said that the newspaper ''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...
'', in reprisal for Reader choosing to advocate a Yes vote, had published a story mischaracterising her political views and misrepresenting her great-uncle as a
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
and leader in the
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
(IRA), stating: "there’s people out there in Scotland, especially in the Press, and especially at The Scotsman — which is a very wrong name for that paper, because they don’t believe in Scotland at all; they believe in London management — who believe that Scots do not deserve the vote. I don’t want to be in that team." She issued a formal appeal to the
Press Complaints Commission The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Ind ...
(PCC), saying that: "The article was trying to portray ALL people wanting to have Scots running Scotland and independence voters as having links with the early Fascists. The journalist scrapped around and tried to attach my great-uncle, who supported independence, to a 'Nazi' group and a terrorist organisation, creating hateful responses and threats to my family." The PCC ruled in May 2013 that the image in the story, accompanied by the headline ‘Klan Alba’, did not breach the Editor’s Code of Practice. Reader is writing a book for publication about her great-uncle Seamus (or James) Reader, based on his extensive diaries. He was head of the Scottish Brigade of the
Irish Republican Brotherhood The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; ) was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland between 1858 and 1924.McGee, p. 15. Its counterpart in the United States ...
(IRB), when the
Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...
broke out in 1919, later becoming a founder of the abortive Scottish Republican Army, which attempted to replicate the Irish struggle in Scotland between the wars. On
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
, she posted that he: "was in command of 4,000 Scots involved in the Irish Rising build-up and the Irish war against The British state. In telling the story I felt my ancestor was passing the baton to me to tell the truthful story of this time".


Awards

The Robert Burns project saw Reader awarded an MBE for outstanding contributions to the arts in the New Year's honours list of 2006. In May 2007, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the
University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde () is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first techn ...
. Later that year she was recognised for her contributions to music and to the education and encouragement of young musicians with an honorary doctorate and a Doctor of Letters from
Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University, informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley (), is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded in 1875) and Glasgow Polytechnic (originally Glasg ...
. In June 2008, she received another doctorate for her musical work, this time from the
University of Stirling The University of Stirling (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals; ) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by a royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built within the walled Airth ...
, and in 2013 she received an honorary doctor of music award from the University of Edinburgh. {, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result , - , rowspan=2, 1989 , rowspan=2, Brit Awards , " Perfect" , Best British Single , , - , '' The First of a Million Kisses'' , Best British Album , , - , rowspan=3, 1995 ,
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
, " Patience of Angels" , Best Song Musically & Lyrically , , - ,
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
, " Dear John" , Best Song Musically & Lyrically , , - , rowspan=2, Brit Awards , rowspan=3, Herself , rowspan=2, Best British Female , , - , 1997 , , - , 2016 , Boisdale Music Awards , Great Scot Music Award ,


Discography


Albums

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , + List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;", Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2", Details ! scope="col" colspan="1", Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;", Certifications , - ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;", UK
, - ! scope="row", '' Mirmama'' , * Released: 12 October 1992 * Label:
RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...
, 34 , , - ! scope="row", ''
Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the Folk music, folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo caree ...
'' , * Released: 20 June 1994 * Label:
Blanco y Negro Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involve ...
, 4 , * BPI: Gold , - ! scope="row", '' Candyfloss and Medicine'' , * Released: 8 July 1996 * Label:
Blanco y Negro Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involve ...
, 24 , , - ! scope="row", '' Angels & Electricity'' , * Released: 11 May 1998 * Label:
Blanco y Negro Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involve ...
, 49 , , - ! scope="row" , '' Simple Soul'' , * Released: 9 January 2001 * Label: Rough Trade , 92 , * , - ! scope="row", ''
Driftwood Driftwood is a wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. It is part of beach wrack. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides ...
'' , * Released: 8 October 2001 * Label: Rough Trade , — , , - ! scope="row", '' Sings the Songs of Robert Burns'' , * Released: 12 May 2003 * Label: Rough Trade , 86 , * BPI: Silver , - ! scope="row", ''
Peacetime Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such a ...
'' , * Released: 29 January 2007 * Label: Rough Trade , 93 , , - ! scope="row", '' Love Is the Way'' , * Released: 13 April 2009 * Label: Rough Trade , 109 , , - ! scope="row", '' Vagabond'' , * Released: 13 April 2009 * Label: Reveal , 93 , , - ! scope="row", ''Cavalier'' , * Released: 28 September 2018 * Label: Reveal , — , , - ! scope="row", ''Light Is in the Horizon'' , * Released: 1 April 2022 * Label: Vertical , — ,


Singles

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , - ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;", Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;", Year ! scope="col" colspan="1", Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" , Album , - ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;", UK
, - ! scope="row", "All or Nothing" , 1991 , — , rowspan=2, '' Mirmama'' , - ! scope="row", "What You Do with What You've Got" , 1992 , 100 , - ! scope="row", " Patience of Angels" , rowspan=3, 1994 , 33 , rowspan=3, ''
Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the Folk music, folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo caree ...
'' , - ! scope="row", " Joke (I'm Laughing)" , 42 , - ! scope="row", " Dear John" , 48 , - ! scope="row", "
Nobody Lives Without Love "Nobody Lives Without Love" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader, released in 1995 as a single from the ''Batman Forever'' soundtrack. The song was written by Tonio K and Larry Klein, and was produced by Trevor Horn. It reached ...
" , 1995 , 84 , ''
Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' is a 1995 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. It is the third installment of the ''Batman'' film series, acting as a standalone sequel to ''Batman Returns''. Directe ...
'' , - ! scope="row", " Town Without Pity" , rowspan=3, 1996 , 26 , rowspan=2, '' Candyfloss and Medicine'' , - ! scope="row", "Medicine" , 100 , - ! scope="row", "Waiting Game" (with
Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Jayne County, To ...
)
, — , ''Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll'' , - ! scope="row", "Prayer Wheel" , 1998 , — , '' Angels & Electricity'' , - ! scope="row", " Fragile Thing" (with
Big Country Big Country are a Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although they have retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music inc ...
)
, rowspan=2, 1999 , 69 , '' Driving to Damascus'' , - ! scope="row", "Usual Things" (with Little Tempo &
Linton Kwesi Johnson Linton Kwesi Johnson Order of Distinction, OD (born 24 August 1952), also known as LKJ, is a Jamaica-born, British-based dub poetry, dub poet and activist. In 2002, he became the second living poet, and the only black one, to be published in th ...
)
, — , , - ! scope="row", "The Girl Who Fell in Love with the Moon" , rowspan=2, 2001 , — , rowspan=2, '' Simple Soul'' , - ! scope="row", "Prodigal Daughter"/"Simple Soul" , — , - ! scope="row", "Holiday" , rowspan=2, 2002 , — , ''
Driftwood Driftwood is a wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. It is part of beach wrack. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides ...
'' , - ! scope="row", "May You Never" (with
David Knopfler David Knopfler (born 27 December 1952) is a British musician. Together with his older brother Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, and Pick Withers, he founded the rock band Dire Straits in 1977, serving as rhythm guitarist on their first two albums. ...
)
, — , ''Wishbones'' , - ! scope="row", "
Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" () is a Scottish song. In the English-speaking world, it is traditionally sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay/New Year's Eve. It is also often heard at funerals, graduations, and as a far ...
"/"Wild Mountainside" , rowspan=2, 2003 , — , rowspan=2, '' Sings the Songs of Robert Burns'' , - ! scope="row", " My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose"/"Jamie Come Try Me" , — , - ! scope="row", "Muddy Water" , 2007 , — , ''
Peacetime Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such a ...
'' , - ! scope="row", "Roses" , rowspan=2, 2009 , — , rowspan=2, '' Love Is the Way'' , - ! scope="row", "Dragonflies" , — , - ! scope="row", "Baby's Boat" , 2013 , — , rowspan=2, '' Vagabond'' , - ! scope="row", "Back the Dogs (Dancing Down Rock)" , 2014 , — , - ! scope="row", "Starlight" , 2018 , — , ''Cavalier'' , - , colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" , "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory.


Live albums

* ''Eddi Reader Live'' (2001) * ''Eddi Reader Live: Edinburgh'' (2003) * ''Eddi Reader Live: Newcastle'' (2003) * ''Eddi Reader Live: Leeds'' (2003) * ''Eddi Reader Live: London'' (2003) * ''St Clare's Night Out: Live at The Basement'' (2006) * ''Port Fairy Folk Festival'' (2008) * ''Live in Japan'' (2010)


Fairground Attraction

* '' The First of a Million Kisses'' (1988) * '' Ay Fond Kiss'' (1990) * ''Kawasaki – Live in Japan 02.07.89'' (2003) * ''The Very Best of Fairground Attraction'' (2004) * ''Beautiful Happening'' (2024)


Film soundtracks

* '' Batman Forever: Music from the Motion Picture'' (1995) ** "
Nobody Lives Without Love "Nobody Lives Without Love" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader, released in 1995 as a single from the ''Batman Forever'' soundtrack. The song was written by Tonio K and Larry Klein, and was produced by Trevor Horn. It reached ...
"Soundtracks for ''Batman Forever'' (1995)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
* ''
Bed of Roses Bed of roses is an English expression that represents a carefree life. This idiomatic expression is still popular. In the thirteenth-century work Le Roman de la Rose (called "The French Iliad" in Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable), a L ...
'' (1996) ** " The Right Place"Soundtracks for ''Bed of Roses'' (1996)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
* '' Love & Sex'' (2000) ** "Honeychild"Soundtracks for ''Love & Sex'' (2000)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
* '' My First Mister'' (2001) ** "Bell, Book and Candle" (1999)Soundtracks for ''My First Mister'' (2001)
. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 February 2012.


Collections

* ''The Blanco y Negro Years'' (2015) * ''The Best of Eddi Reader'' (2016)


References


External links


Official website

Video of 3 tracks from the Auld Lang Syne concert on BBC's Celtic Connections site – live performance – January 2009
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reader, Eddi 1959 births Living people Brit Award winners Members of the Order of the British Empire Singers from Glasgow 21st-century Scottish women singers Blanco y Negro Records artists RCA Records artists Rough Trade Records artists The Waterboys members Scottish buskers Scottish women singer-songwriters 20th-century Scottish women singers