According to major media, the event is titled 'Dick Gaughan: Muckle Sangs' and is this year's Rebellious Truth talk presented in partnership with Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Dick Gaughan will talk about his life and music with Dr Lori Watson. The event will include a special music set by University of Edinburgh Traditional Artist in Residence Fraser Fifield.
' Dick Gaughan was born in Glasgow in 1948 and moved to Leith at 18 months old. He began playing in the folk clubs of Edinburgh in the late 1960s, turned professional in 1970, and made his first solo album in 1971. His career included recording albums, composing music for films, and working as an actor and theatre music director.
Talking of the muckle sangs, Dick Gaughan's traditional ballads such as Glenlogie or Floo'er o Northumberland are a masterclass in Scots song interpretation.
In the early 1980s, he worked with 7:84 (Scotland) Theatre Company and released his LP 'Handful of Earth', widely regarded as a classic. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Billy Bragg, Mary Black, and Capercaille. Last year, fellow musician Colin Harper tracked Dick Gaughan's music, which had largely been lost, and launched a crowdfunding campaign to re-release the tracks.
The exact date and time of the talk have not been announced. It is unknown whether Dick Gaughan will perform any music at the event despite being unable to play guitar. The current status of that crowdfunding campaign is not known.
There is a deep understanding of the lives, experiences and relationships in the songs as well as the demands of the ballad form.
The specific details of Dick Gaughan's stroke, such as when it occurred or its severity, have also not been disclosed.