News travels fast in this twenty-first century, even without the benefit of mainstream media.
But just in case you haven't already heard, Alistair Hulett passed away last night (Thursday 28 January; about 5:30am on Friday morning Sydney time) in the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. Alistair was on the list for a liver transplant, but it seems it didn't arrive soon enough. And by this time, cancer had spread to other parts of Alistair's body.
Right till the very end, Fatima was there by Alistair's side. Fatima rallied the troops this week, and encouraged many of Alistair's friends and fans to send messages of support. These messages came flooding in, and kept Alistair cheered till the end.
History will judge Alistair to have been a fine singer and songwriter, from his punky days with Roaring Jack, through to his solo work, the albums he recorded with Dave Swarbrick and his final release with the Malkies. Many of Alistair's songs have been covered by both folk musicians and punk bands
http://www.roaringjack.com/covered.html
Alistair was not only a great songwriter but a thoughtful interpreter of traditional Scottish and Irish music well.
Politics also dominated Alistair's life and his activities. Alistair got behind many causes in both Australia and Scotland. Who could forget Roaring Jack's successful campaign to release Tim Anderson, who was wrongly convicted of the 1978 Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing? Or the support Alistair and Roaring Jack gave to striking workers on Cockatoo Island? And his efforts to stop a community swimming pool from closing down in Glasgow.
I am sure there will be many activities in Britain to help remember Alistair. There will also be events in Australia for those who wish to celebrate Alistair's life and music.
Please let me know if you are interested in finding out more about the Australian events, and I will be sure to keep you informed.
Alistair Hulett will be greatly missed.
Andy Carr
The Roaring Jack Archives
http://www.roaringjack.com
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