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Leading Drummer William Fraser

Williams' first introduction to drumming was seeing Buddy Rich at the London Palladium and from that moment on, he was hooked...

His drumming career began at the age of 12 with the 1st West Kilbride Boys Brigade Pipe Band and within a year he was promoted to Leading Drummer.  At the age of 14 he then moved up to a senior band playing with the Stevenson Pipe Band under the tuition of James Brown.  Over the next few years he successfully competed in the Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway solo events winning in both juvenile and senior levels.  Around this time William left pipe bands in order to expanded his drumming, playing with local dance bands from jazz to cabaret shows.

In the mid 70's he returned to the pipe band scene with the Johnny Walker Pipe Band in Grade 1, which later became known as the Irvine Pipe Band.  Emigrating with his family to South Africa in 1982, he thought that it would be then end of his drumming career, only to discover a whole new journey was just about to begin!

He joined the Richmond Avenue (Grade 1) Pipe Band and in 1984 the band made the long haul trip to Scotland in order to become the first South African pipe band to compete on Scottish soil.  Unfortunately for the band, it was forced to withdraw just the days before the World Pipe Band Championships due to the political situation in South Africa at that time - thankfully things have now changed in South Africa and the band has had several successful trips to the Worlds in recent years.

In 1986 William then joined the South African Military Health Service Pipe Band, helping establish their pipe band, where he remained until his return to Scotland in late 2006.  He further expanded his drumming and teaching skills whilst touring extensively throughout South Africa at the various military parades, ceremonies and performances at many prestige civilian events that the band were invited to perform at.  As well as teaching and presenting drum workshops covering the whole range of drumming and percussion, William was also made responsible for all of the drum scores for both the pipe and military bands.