Pipe-major of the Royal Scots Greys whose Amazing Grace reached the charts; Born October 13, 1929; Died February 16, 2009.
Pipe-Major Jimmy Pryde, who has died in his 80th year, shot to fame in 1972 with his recording of Amazing Grace. His reworked melody featuring the pipes and drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards spent weeks in the charts, gaining a new global audience for bagpipes.
It was Pryde's inspiration in bringing together pipes and brass that gave life to the old hymn tune, creating drama with the way he used regimental drums.
By the time Amazing Grace reached the public, Pryde had retired from the army, his outstanding musical talents snapped up in a new career that forever kept him piping.
His recordings are legion, the most unusual being a 1976 release on vinyl, with Pryde on the flipside of a disc featuring Japanese drummer Jimmy Takeuchi playing Beatles' classic Sgt Pepper.
Pryde surely laughed all the way to the pub when he read one critic describing him as "a cat named Jimmy, (who) takes this 45 into double-A-side status, and coins a whole new genre - the next big thing is bagpipe-funk'."
James Pryde MBE enjoyed distinguished military service, rising to senior pipe-major of the British Army and bearing on his bass drone the personal banner of the Queen.
Inveresk-born Pryde grew up to pipe music, joining a band in Musselburgh before he was 10 and taking classes with William Sinclair, the Leith bagpipe maker. His talents gained him a place in Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band. Aged 19, he was with this Grade 1 band when they won their first world championship title in 1948.
After national service in the Royal Scots he joined as a regular, serving with the HLI and Seaforths before the Royal Scots Greys.
After the army, he enthused youngsters and was retained by Loretto School and Edinburgh Academy. His pupils at the former included Simon McKerrell, first to gain a doctorate in piping.
A fierce disciplinarian, Pryde created his own legend in looking after his men.
In the days of the ferry to Skye, he led the Royal Scots Greys to play at gatherings on the island. But at Kyle of Lochalsh a huge waiting queue greeted the band bus.
Pryde ordered the bus straight to the front, saw the ferry captain and informed him that the Greys were due to play for Princess Margaret that day. Cars were pushed aside and space made. On the other side, Jimmy led the dash for the first pub - raising a glass for the next hour to the cars held up for him.
He retired to Bowden in the Borders, and with some pride held the title of honorary pipe-major of the Melrose band. He died after a long battle with cancer, and is survived by his wife, Edna, and three sons. By GORDON CASELY
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