Dick Gaughan (Richard Peter Gaughan )(b. 17 May 1948) is an influential Scottish musician, singer, and songwriter. He has recorded with Boys of the Lough and Five Hand Reel, and has a number of fine albums of his own. He took up the guitar at the age of seven. ...show more

Dick Gaughan (Richard Peter Gaughan )(b. 17 May 1948) is an influential Scottish musician, singer, and songwriter. He has recorded with Boys of the Lough and Five Hand Reel, and has a number of fine albums of his own. He took up the guitar at the age of seven.

Although he has later sung in Scottish Gaelic, he is not fluent in that language; he has a powerful command of his native Scots. He began by singing in Edinburgh folk clubs and became a professional musician in 1970. He made one solo album, No More Forever, before joining Boys of the Lough, singing and playing guitar on their debut album (1972). After leaving, he was a guest of the High Level Ranters when they recorded The Bonnie Pit Laddie in 1975, performing on two tracks.

From 1976 to 1978 there then followed a hectic period of his life pursuing two careers, one as a member of Five Hand Reel and one as a soloist. It was a time of hard drinking, travelling continental Europe in vans, and seeing very little of his wife and daughter. The crisis came when his daughter was knocked down by a car while he was away. The daughter survived, but Gaughan had to take stock of his life and re-prioritise things. ...show less