The Cottars are to split up

[Joe]

Hi all

According to a story in next week's Billboard Magazine, The Cottars have had a row and are to break up.

Nothing has been said by musical director Allister MacGillivray. In my communications with him, nothing has been mentioned of this possible break up.

Here's an article (thanks Roger, I think ) from the Halifax Chronicle-Herald thechronicleherald.ca/Entertainment/512210.html

Please pray that this is just rumor. Oh dear...what have they done.

Love,
Joe

[Joe]

The Cottars' music director, Allister MacGillivray, has confirmed to me that the group will likely be phased out at the end of the year.

He cites the reason for the break up as "the band members have grown apart as far as their vision of what they want to do with their careers. They will likely use their experience as The Cottars to move on to other things -- some of them musical, some of them not. "

What I don't understand is why in the press articles it is clearly stated that Jimmy and Roseanne were devastated and upset that the parents of the other kids wanted the band to cease.


Joe

[fusilier23]

According to another article, it was implied that the McGillivrays were unhappy that they were no longer in total control of things, and also that the MacKenzie siblings have not been able to speak to the others. That to me reeks of bad faith, and quite frankly there could be litigation in the works, it isn't right to sign with a major label when you intend to pull the plug.

In the meantime, Rosie MacKenzie is joining tenor John McDermott's group.

I always thought Fiona was kind of cute, maybe because she looks a little bit like the pre-fall CC, but forget it, I have no use for those who act in bad faith.

[roger]

Hi fusilier,

Your reaction is understandable. However, I wonder if it might be advisable to wait until the full story is known (if it ever is) before passing judgment. We do not know the terms of the record deal. For all we know, there could have been some kind of get-out clause.

Roger

[portia]

Roger is right. It's far too early to pass judgement. Fusilier, you don't even know these people, nor do you know exactly what happened, and I find your condescending tone incredibly presumptuous.

I suppose all good things have to end. Even if the Cottars broke up because of feuds or whatever, they still gave us very good music. What I'm really interested in is what all the band members are going to do in the future.

[Dave]

This is all very sad. There is a long article dated today at Billboard online - I think this is the full Billboard article mentioned by Joe and it may tell us as much as is currently known about the break-up. It's in the subscription part of the website, all you may get by clicking the link are the first couple of paragraphs, therefore I have reproduced the article here in full. Courtesy of Billboard.

July 01, 2006,
NO HARMONY FOR THE COTTARS
Cape Breton Quartet Of Two Families' Teen Siblings Splits Unexpectedly

By LARRY LEBLANC

TORONTO—Could the breakup of a group involving two sets of siblings be anything other than a soap opera?

Consider the tale of the Cottars from wind-swept Cape Breton in Nova Scotia—the heartland of Scottish culture in Canada.

Among the cast of characters: four talented teen musicians; a folklorist father guiding the band's musical direction; and frustrated U.S.-based management struggling to keep two family factions together.

The plot line has the Cottars splitting within months of releasing their acclaimed Rounder Records debut, "Forerunner," and only weeks after a high-profile 23-date North American tour with the Chieftains.

It's a situation the band's exasperated manager Pam McDermott describes as "absolutely crazy."

The two sets of teenage siblings in the Cottars are vocalist Fiona MacGillivray, 16, and keyboardist/guitarist Ciarán MacGillivray, 18, plus fiddler Roseanne MacKenzie, 16, and guitarist Jimmy MacKenzie, 18. All grew up immersed in traditional Cape Breton music.

When they signed to Rounder in November 2005, label co-founder Ken Irwin predicted success for the Cottars, noting that the company had also signed Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas and Mark O'Connor as teenagers.

Such hopes were dashed when the MacGillivrays' mother, Beverly, notified McDermott by letter that the act was disbanding.

"The four kids have been unhappy in the last while," she wrote, adding, "for Ciarán and Fiona, any future this band could have is not inducement enough to endure any more antagonism or stress. We feel our responsibility here is as parents first—and as band personnel second."

The move came as a blow to the MacKenzies. "Jimmy and I are devastated," Roseanne MacKenzie says. "We haven't been able to talk to Fiona or Ciarán. We are going to miss playing music with them."

Boston-based McDermott Entertainment has managed the Cottars since 2002. McDermott says she and the label have been vainly trying to halt the breakup since receiving MacGillivray's letter on April 24.

According to McDermott, nine months of bookings in North America, followed by European dates in 2007 and a 10-week Australian tour in 2008, had been planned. But the Cottars will complete only eight North American festival dates this summer before disbanding.

"What's wrong with this story?" McDermott angrily says. "Six months ago, we were sitting at a conference room table celebrating signing with Rounder. Now, the MacGillivrays want the band to disband."

Puzzled, she asks, "Why would the MacGillivrays agree to sign with Rounder if this had been in the works?"

Beverly and Allister MacGillivray declined to comment and the MacKenzies' parents could not be reached.

Once a child performer himself, Cape Breton-born Allister MacGillivray played in the 1960s and 1970s as a guitarist with Canadian/Irish act Ryan's Fancy and Irish duo Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy. In the 1980s, he returned to Cape Breton to concentrate on songwriting and writing books about the island's musical culture.

Insiders say the MacGillivrays controlled the day-to-day operations of the band. Allister chose its material and co-produced/arranged its albums while his wife supervised the act on the road.

"Beverly and Allister ran this group with an iron fist," Canadian folk singer and family friend John McDermott says, "but I don't think they understood what an amazing position the group was in." Sources suggest that a growing international schedule coupled with outside pressures on the teenagers while on the road may have been beyond what the MacGillivrays could deal with—or wanted their children to cope with.

"The guts of the issue is that the MacGillivrays were losing control [of the act]," Pam McDermott says.

With the Cottars' career ending, Roseanne MacKenzie is currently playing in John McDermott's band. The singer (no relation to Pam McDermott) financed the Cottars' 2002 debut, "Made in Cape Breton," and released it in Canada on his own Bunnygee Music label. According to Nielsen Entertainment Canada, the album has sold 15,000 units in Canada; 2004 follow-up "On Fire!" on the band's own Sea-Cape Music label has sold 5,000 units.

"Forerunner" has scanned 2,000 units in Canada and 5,000 units in the United States since its Jan. 10 release. However, sources say the act enjoys substantially higher sales through non-Nielsen outlets in Canada for which figures are not available.

Rounder first tapped Cape Breton's folk heritage in the 1970s, signing regional names like Buddy MacMaster and the Beaton Family. Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster is also signed to Rounder. The Cottars—whose name derives from an archaic Scottish word for peasant—were expected to surpass such acts' sales during their multi-album deal.

"We felt we had something with the Cottars," Irwin says. "For the most part, Celtic vocals have not gotten to a wider audience. We felt the Cottars were the group to do that.

"When signing any act, we try to get a feel for the stability of the band," Irwin adds. "But it's often difficult to see problems, especially if you don't see a band that often—or if the members make an effort to hide their difficulties." ••••

Dave.

[Steve H]

Hi All,

It is always a shame to see any talented group split up, but I am sure we will see some of the members either go solo or join other groups.

Until then here is one of my favorite pictures of them together.



Steve H

[Steve H]

One more, who knows when have split these might be worth a fortune!



Lets remember them together, and hope that they change their mind!

Steve H

[fusilier23]

portia said:

Roger is right. It's far too early to pass judgement. Fusilier, you don't even know these people, nor do you know exactly what happened, and I find your condescending tone incredibly presumptuous.

I suppose all good things have to end. Even if the Cottars broke up because of feuds or whatever, they still gave us very good music. What I'm really interested in is what all the band members are going to do in the future.

I was going by the article from Billboard online, which has now been posted here. I may not know these people personally, but I did and do still follow John McDermott. He's a stand-up, intelligent guy who built a musical career from nothing and who's been shafted at least once by his Irish Tenors brethren without complaint, and if he says this is a mistake, it is. This reeks of a pushy stage mom finding she was losing control and deciding if she couldn't control the act, then no one would. At the very least anyone who reads this would have to wonder why anyone would sign and six months later be disbanding, as well as cut off communication with one's former bandmates.

And Portia, I really don't care what you, someone half my age, think of what I have to say, so kindly keep your judgments of me as presumptuous, or whatever, to yourself.

[Oksana]

Hi all,

This is really sad news. Unfortunately, I haven't found any of the Cottar's CDs around here, but I remember seeing them perform Ready for the Storm with my mom on TV a few years ago. We both fell in love with the song (and, on a side note, would anyone happen to have a video of that performance? I think it was on the East Coast Music Awards). I wish them all the best in their solo careers.

Oksy x

[Joe]

Hi all,

Allister (their musical director) told me that nothing further will be released to the media until the end of November. I do have other newsworthy statements on my Cottars forum.

The group are in a Massachusetts festival this weekend, although now I saw that Roseanne alone will be performing. I hope to gather some reports about this.

Even I don't know the full details of the breakup. I do believe the MacKenzies were not aware of the MacGillivrays' decision to split; however we must support them in whatever the future brings. Yeah, Roseanne will join McDermott.

I'm quite certain that the band may have split last year but all parties reconciled...let's hope that this happens again.

Fusilier and portia, we don't need any more bad emotions here.

[fusilier23]

I suppose we don't and I apologize for boiling over, but I stand by what I said as far as what I think led to all of this. Why wait till November, though.

BTW, Joe, I don't agree that we have to support them. You are always free to withdraw support from an artist with or without a reason.

[portia]

fusilier23 said:

And Portia, I really don't care what you, someone half my age, think of what I have to say, so kindly keep your judgments of me as presumptuous, or whatever, to yourself.

How kind.

I wasn't judging you. I was judging the tone of your post. Why should I bother about a person who I've never met? I had no idea you read the billboard article. Neither did I know what was written in it. Now that I've read it, I think your speculation of what happened is perfectly reasonable. Though your condemnation of them based on mere speculation I find far too hasty and unfair. But either way, it's your call. I think we should give the Cottars the benefit of the doubt.

Whatever happens, or whatever happened, I still like the music the Cottars put out. I just don't know if any future projects they do will surpass Forerunner. Here's to hoping they get back together.

[alien]

someone said:

Hi all,

This is really sad news. Unfortunately, I haven't found any of the Cottar's CDs around here, but I remember seeing them perform Ready for the Storm with my mom on TV a few years ago. We both fell in love with the song (and, on a side note, would anyone happen to have a video of that performance? I think it was on the East Coast Music Awards). I wish them all the best in their solo careers.

Oksy x

Hi Oksana,

I would love to say I have the video, unfortunately I don't. Is the performance you're referring to was from 2003? I remember seeing it on TV and it was the first Cottars performance I've seen. Since Tara Maclean was the reason I was watching ECMA that year, I didn't record anything other than her 2 performances that night That was an amazing performance!

It's sad to see the Cottars breaking up but we should all support their decisions.

Regards,

Allen

[Joe]

Hi all,

I've been wanting to use this phrase...welcome back, Cottars! Two new replacements are with the group.

The newest member of my forum attended a concert in British Columbia, Canada earlier in the week. Roseanne MacGillivray has been replaced by a brilliant 16-year old fiddler called Claire Pettit. Jimmy MacKenzie has been replaced by Bruce Timmins. Bruce may only be performing temporarily until a more permanent performer is found.

Also the name "Cottars" may change. Things looks good for the rest of the festival season as well as into next year...future CD's are likely too.

Read a report and pics of this concert...the link to my forum is below.

This new arrangement is music to my ears and I trust for you as well. And there are still people who don't believe in the power of prayer.

Joe