The Proclaimers are a Scottish band from the town of
Auchtermuchty
in Fife (the same town that was home to
Jimmy Shand
, the famous Band Leader. The identical twins brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid, formed their band in 1983, and their fame increased after a January 1987 appearance on UK popular music programme The Tube on Channel Four.
Their song, "Letter from America" reached number 3 in the UK singles chart, while the album, "This is the Story" went gold. The follow-up album "Sunshine on Leith" featured "I'm Gonna Be..." and "I'm on My Way".
They are perhaps best known for their songs "Letter from America" and "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" which became the theme song to the film "Benny & Joon" (1993) starring Johnny Depp.
The brothers, like most Scottish men, love
football
(soccer) and they support the Hibernian Football Club. Their song "Sunshine on Leith" is played at every home match.
Many of their songs reflect their political views, such as "Letter from America" and "Cap in Hand". On May 16, 2006, the twins announced their participation in a campaign to free a fellow Scot, Kenny Richey, from his death row sentence in Ohio, USA, including them playing at a charity concert.
"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and "I'm On My Way" were both major chart hits in Australia - so much so that the band very successfully toured the major cities of Australia in 1989. They were supported on the Sydney and Canberra legs of that tour by indie rock band The Mexican Spitfires. Helped by the inclusion of "I'm on My Way" on the Shrek soundtrack in 2001, the Proclaimers have remained popular in Australia with these songs.
Treat yourself to one of their albums:
See also the following pages:-
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
- Britain's Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, was raised and educated in Kirkcaldy, Fife. Barbara Dickson
- The famous singer and actress from Dunfermline. Alexander Fleming
- His discovery of Penicillin changed the world. Jimmy Shand
- The famous Band Leader, also from Auchtermuchty. The legend of his music lives on. Andrew Carnegie
- the great Philanthropist from Dunfermine made his fortune in the Steel Industry and went on to give away much of his money. Jack Vettriano
- the painter from Methil in Fife has reached fame with his wonderful art. Ian Rankin
- The novelist and author of the famous Inspector Rebus Books.