Famous Glaswegians

Over the years Glaswegians have made their mark on the political, scientific, educational, religious, commercial and cultural map at home and abroad and include Football legend Sir Alex Ferguson, Architect and Designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Comedian Billy Connolly.

Is there someone you think should be included on this page? E-mail us your suggestions and we will add the best ones to our list below.

Sir Alex Ferguson	Charles Rennie            Mackintosh	Billy Connolly

MUSICIANS AND BANDS

• Simple Minds
• Donovan
• Franz Ferdinand
• Texas
• Belle and Sebastian
• The Delgados
• Del Amitri
• Midge Ure
• Deacon Blue
• Lulu
• Jimmy Somerville, Bronski Beat, Communards
• Clare Grogan and Altered Images
• Jim Diamond
• Angus Young, guitarist in ACDC
• Hipsway
• Travis
• The Blue Nile
• Alex Harvey, Scottish Rock singer
• The Bluebells
• Love and Money
• Mogwai
• Camera Obscura
• Jack Bruce, (Bassist in Cream)
• The Silencers
• The Fratellis
• Frankie Miller, soul singer
• Hamish Stuart, guitarist/vocalist - Average White Band
• Aztec Camera
• Iain Mackintosh - folk singer
• Maggie Reilly - singer - collaborated with Mike Oldfield
• Maggie Bell - rock and blues singer - sang Taggart's theme tune 'No Mean City.'
• Brian Robertson - member of Thin Lizzy
• Primal Scream
• Stuart MacMillan, Slam - DJ and co-producer of world-renowned Soma record label
• The JSD Band
• Glasvegas - indie

ARTS

          Actors and Comedians

• Billy Connolly -      comedian and actor
• Bill Paterson -      actor (Comfort and Joy, Gregory's Girl, Miss Potter)           
• Robert Carlyle -    actor (Trainspotting)
• Billy Boyd -           actor (Lord of the Rings)
• Lorraine Kelly -    TV presenter
• Carol Smillie -       TV presenter
• Craig Ferguson -   actor, comedian
• Gregor Fisher -     comedian, actor (Love Actually, Rab C Nesbitt)
• Elaine C Smith -    comic actor  (Rab C Nesbitt)
• Ford Kiernan -  comic actor - Chewing the Fat and Still Game (Jack)
• Greg Hemphill - comic actor - Chewing the Fat and Still Game (Victor)
• Jane McCarry - comic actor (Isa) Still Game
• Paul Riley - comic actor (Winston) Still Game
• David McCallum - movie star (Man from Uncle)
• Gordon Jackson - actor (Upstairs, Downstairs and The Professionals)
• Robbie Coltrane - (Cracker and Harry Potter)
• Stanley Baxter - comic actor
• Rikki Fulton - comic actor
• Jimmy Logan - comedian
• Sir Jeremy Isaacs - TV producer - BAFTA and Emmy Award winner
• James McAvoy - (The Last King of Scotland)
• Frankie Boyle, Comedian
• John Barrowman - actor, musical performer and TV presenter
• Gerard James Butler - actor and singer
• Dorothy Paul - comedian/actor
• Ian Tough - one half of the Krankies - also known as 'Wee Jimmy Krankie's' father
• Duncan Macrae - actor (Casino Royale, 1967)
• David O'Hara - actor (Braveheart, The Devil's Own, Hotel Rwanda)
• Tommy Flanagan - actor (Braveheart and Gladiator)
• David Hayman - actor

        Poets

• Liz Lochhead, poet and playwright
• Ivor Cutler, poet, songwriter and humorist

        Novelists/Writers

• James Kelman - Booker Prize Winner 1994
• Grant Morrison - comic book writer: New X-Men; The Invisibles; Animal Man
• Christopher Brookmyre - Winner of the 'First Blood Award'  - for best first crime novel of the year
• Karen Campbell - The Twilight Time

        Theatre/Opera Directors

• David McVicar - Theatre and Opera Director

        OTHERS

• Harry Benson - Award winning photojournalist

ARCHITECTS

• Charles Rennie Mackintosh - architect and designer
• Alexander 'Greek' Thomson - architect and designer
• Archibald Leitch - architect (football stadiums)

BUSINESS

• Sir William Burrell - shipping magnate and philanthropist
• James McGill - businessman and philanthropist
• Sir Thomas Lipton - creator of the famous Lipton tea brand
• Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden - entrepreneur
• Willie Haughey - businessman and philanthropist

SPORTS

• Sir Alex Ferguson - Football legend and manager
• Kenny Dalglish - Footballer and manager
• Tommy Docherty - Footballer and manager
• Benny Lynch - Scotland's first boxing champion
• Barry Ferguson -  Footballer
• Mo Johnston - Footballer
• Jim Watt - Boxer
• Danny McGrain - Footballer
• Glasgow Mid Argyll - The 1973 Camanachd winning team
• Members of the 1972 UEFA Cup Winning Team (Rangers FC): Alex MacDonald and Willie Johnston
• Members of The Lisbon Lions (Celtic FC):  Ronnie Simpson,  Jim Craig, Bobby Murdoch, Stevie Chalmers and Bertie Auld
• Alex McLeish - Scotland Manager and footballer

POLITICS

• Gordon Brown - Prime Minister (UK)
• Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman - Prime Minister (UK) 1905 -1908
• Donald Dewar - Secretary of State for Scotland, First Minister
• Sir Menzies Campbell, Leader of the Liberal Democrats
• Sir John A MacDonald, Canada's first Prime Minister
• The Rt. Hon. Michael J Martin MP - the first Scottish Speaker in the House of Commons

AVIATORS

• Sir Arthur Whitten Brown - navigated the first successful non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean with Alcock (pilot).

DETECTIVES

• Allan Pinkerton - created the first detective agency in the USA (Pinkerton Agency - famous for private eye logo).

FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

• Scrooge McDuck (Disney cartoon character)- the richest duck in the world; Donald Duck's Uncle; and Great Uncle to Huey, Duey and Luey
• Groundskeeper Willie - from the Simpsons (allegedly)

WIZARDS

• Merlin, legendary wizard - King Arthur's magician

To Learn More About Our Famous Sons and Daughters visit:

• The Glasgow Collection at the Mitchell Library.   

            Phone: 0141 287 2938                   

            Fax: 0141 287 2912

            Email: lil@cls.glasgow.gov.uk

• The People’s Palace Museum. In the Work and Working Life section there is a ‘Making it in Glasgow’ display featuring information and artefacts relating to contemporary heroes such as: Comedian Billy Connolly.