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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{future election}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ashley MacIsaac
| image = Ashley MacIsaac.jpg
| alt =
| caption = MacIsaac performing at the [[Burlington Sound of Music]] festival in 2010. Neil MacIntosh also pictured on drums.
| image_size =
| landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank -->
| birth_name = Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|2|24}}
| birth_place = Creignish, [[Inverness County, Nova Scotia]], Canada
| origin =
| death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date 1st) -->
| death_place =
| genre = [[Celtic fusion]], [[folk music|folk]], rock
| occupation = Musician, singer-songwriter
| instrument = [[Fiddle]], [[Piano]], vocals
| years_active = 1992–present
| label = [[A&M Records|A&M]], [[RCA Records|RCA]], [[Decca Records|Decca]], [[Linus Entertainment|Linus]], Loggerhead
| associated_acts = [[Mac Morin]], [[Natalie MacMaster]], [[The Rankins]]
| website = {{URL|ashleymacisaac.com}}
}}
'''Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac''' (born February 24, 1975) is a Canadian [[fiddle]]r, [[pianist]], singer and songwriter from [[Cape Breton Island]]. He has received three [[Juno Awards]], winning for [[Juno Award for New Artist of the Year|Best New Solo Artist]] and [[Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo|Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo]] at the [[Juno Awards of 1996]], and for Best Instrumental Artist at the [[Juno Awards of 1997]]. His 1995 album ''[[Hi™ How Are You Today?]]'' was a double-platinum selling Canadian record. MacIsaac published an autobiography, ''Fiddling with Disaster'' in 2003.


==Life and family==
[[Image:Ashley1.jpg|thumb|right|Ashley MacIsaac]]
MacIsaac was born in Creignish, [[Inverness County, Nova Scotia]], on [[Cape Breton Island]]. His sister Lisa is also a fiddler, who has her own [[alternative country]] band, [[Madison Violet]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyxtra.com/musical-duo-brenley-maceachern-and-lisa-macisaac-15676|title=Musical duo: Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac|work=[[Xtra!]]|date=June 4, 2008|access-date=October 18, 2017}}</ref> She also appears on his album ''Helter's Celtic'', which was recorded at [[Metalworks Studios]] in [[Mississauga, Ontario]].
'''Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac''' (born [[February 24]], [[1975]]) is a professional [[Musical styles (violin)#Fiddle|fiddler]] born in [[Creignish, Nova Scotia]].


His cousins Alexis MacIsaac, [[Beòlach|Wendy MacIsaac]] and [[Natalie MacMaster]] are also touring fiddlers.<ref>"MacMaster now has time to fiddle a bit". ''[[London Free Press]]'', August 26, 2004.</ref> He is also a distant cousin of [[the White Stripes]] guitarist and lead vocalist [[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]]. The two met and MacIsaac opened for the White Stripes concert in [[Glace Bay, Nova Scotia|Glace Bay]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/ashley-macisaac-to-open-for-white-stripes-1.671271 | publisher=[[CBC News]] | title=Ashley MacIsaac to open for White Stripes | date=June 15, 2007 | access-date=October 18, 2017}}</ref>
While MacIsaac's fiddle-playing is entirely traditional, he sets it in contemporary [[rock music|rock]] songs with [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] and [[dance music|dance]] elements. He is often cited as one of the best fiddlers in the world.


In 2007, MacIsaac married Andrew Stokes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/fiddler-macisaac-marries-on-stage-1.675108|publisher=[[CBC News]]|title=Fiddler MacIsaac marries on stage|date=February 18, 2007|access-date=October 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6c5e249a-5c42-46b8-be87-816a5150614d|newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]]|title=MacIsaac marries sweetheart onstage at music awards|date=February 19, 2007|access-date=September 17, 2012}}</ref> According to MacIsaac, spoken during his February 25, 2017, concert at Koerner Hall in Toronto, they are now divorced. He lives in [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], Ontario.<ref name=windsor>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/muscian-ashley-macisaac-hints-at-political-run-in-windsor-1.1864355 |title=Musician Ashley MacIsaac hints at political run in Windsor |website=[[CBC News]] |date=September 23, 2013 |access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref>
His greatest mainstream success in Canada was his 1995 album ''Hi™ How Are You Today?'', featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie," with vocals in [[Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic]] by [[Mary Jane Lamond]].


==Controversy==
==Career==
MacIsaac's album ''[[Hi™ How Are You Today?]]'', featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie", with vocals in [[Scottish Gaelic language|Scottish Gaelic]] by [[Mary Jane Lamond]] was released in 1995. The song peaked at number 13 on the Canadian [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'' Top Singles]] chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2926&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2926.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2926|title=Top RPM Singles: Issue 1898|work=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|date=July 17, 2013 |publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|access-date=18 June 2018}}</ref> and found minor success in the United States, reaching number two on the [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] [[Bubbling Under Hot 100]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ashley-macisaac/chart-history/hbu/|title=Ashley MacIsaac Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=18 June 2018}}</ref> ''Hi™ How Are You Today?'' was a double-platinum selling Canadian record<ref name="east" /> and earned MacIsaac a [[Juno Awards of 1996|1996 Juno]] in the category [[Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo|Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo]].<ref name=junoawards.ca/> During his early career, MacIsaac subtly acknowledged his sexual identity, sometimes wearing a set of [[LGBT symbols#Freedom rings|rainbow flag freedom rings]] on a neck chain in promotional photos,<ref name=fishbowl>"Fishbowl living hard for fiddling sensation". ''[[Victoria Times-Colonist]]'', September 19, 1995.</ref> but avoided explicitly [[coming out]] to the press.<ref name=fishbowl /> He officially came out in 1996 after ''[[Frank (magazine)|Frank]]'', a Canadian gossip magazine, published a cover story about his sexuality.<ref>"He's baacckk!: Ashley MacIsaac comes clean about the recent chaos on tour and his lifestyle". ''[[Kingston Whig-Standard]]'', September 7, 1996.</ref> In 1996, in a ''[[Maclean's]]'' interview, he claimed that he had discussed his sexual life, including his young boyfriend and a claimed fondness for [[urolagnia|watersports]], in an interview with the [[LGBT]] newsmagazine ''[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]''.<ref name=canenc/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/local-arts/macisaac-no-longer-fiddling-around-2475369 |title=MacIsaac No Longer Fiddling Around |last=Fitzgerald |first=Nicole |date=March 9, 2007 |website=Pique News Magazine |access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> ''The Advocate'' did not print any of the material,<ref name=canenc>"{{cite web |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ashley-macisaac |title=Ashley MacIsaac |website=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |access-date=March 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213032123/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/ashley-macisaac/ |archive-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> but ''Maclean's'' dropped him from its year-end honours list.<ref name=cocaine/>


In 1996, MacIsaac toured the United States as an opening act for [[the Chieftains]].<ref name=chieftains>"MacIsaac outlasts Griffith in tour feud". ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'', July 16, 1996.</ref> It was widely reported in the media that another opener, folk singer [[Nanci Griffith]], dropped out of the tour because she objected to MacIsaac's musical style,<ref name=chieftains /> but Griffith later confirmed in ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'' that her primary conflict was not with MacIsaac's style, but with tour organizers over how much time was available for her after the addition of MacIsaac to the bill.<ref>"These Days: Nanci Griffith". ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]''.</ref> On a 1997 ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' appearance, his leg kick lifted his [[kilt]] high enough that his genitals were visible to the studio audience, although they were blurred out in [[post-production]] before the actual broadcast.<ref>"Fiddler MacIsaac bares all on TV". ''[[Toronto Star]]'', February 19, 1997.</ref> On that same year he also featured as a guest on Toronto indie rock band [[Glueleg]]'s final studio album, ''Clodhopper'', specifically on the album's second track, "See Saw Man".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://library.humber.ca/digital-archive/sites/default/files/coven/Mar20_97_Vol25_No23.pdf |title=Blue Sky on Mars |last=Sweet |first=Matthew |date=March 28, 1997 |access-date=March 24, 2021 |publisher=Entertainment |page=21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLviFgGq6so |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/qLviFgGq6so| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=See Saw Man |date=April 21, 2020 |website=YouTube |access-date=March 24, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
MacIsaac has been a highly controversial figure, who has often used shock tactics to gain attention. In [[1999]], he told a journalist for ''[[The New Yorker]]'' that his goal was to become "weirder than [[Michael Jackson]]".


In 1998 MacIsaac fought successfully to be independent of his record label.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120709152023/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/M/Macisaac_Ashley/1998/07/13/747270.html "MacIsaac is out on his own"]}}. [[canoe.ca]], July 13, 1998.</ref> He subsequently signed with the [[independent record label|independent label]] Loggerhead Records for his 1999 album ''Helter's Celtic''. During the promotional tour for that album, he indicated to the press that he had battled an addiction to [[crack cocaine]] from 1997 to 1999.<ref name=cocaine>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130115121949/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/M/Macisaac_Ashley/1999/10/29/747259.html "Cracking up"]}}. [[canoe.ca]], October 29, 1999.</ref> In 1999, a journalist for ''[[The New Yorker]]'' noted MacIsaac's rock-star bravado and eccentricities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rebeccamead.com/1999_12_20_art_ashley.htm |title=Sex, Drugs, and Fiddling: Is the Celtic virtuoso Ashley MacIssac Too Wild for Rock and Roll? |date=December 20, 1999 |access-date=March 24, 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060528125006/http://rebeccamead.com/1999_12_20_art_ashley.htm |archive-date=May 28, 2006 }}</ref>
In [[1995]], MacIsaac appeared on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'', in a controversial performance during which one of his kick steps lifted his kilt high enough that his genitals were clearly visible to both the studio audience and the television cameras. MacIsaac stated that this was unintentional.


In December 1999, MacIsaac screamed obscenities at a New Year's Eve [[rave]] in [[Halifax Urban Area|Halifax]]; the performance led to cancellations of his concerts across Canada and a "media frenzy over his perceived downward spiral".<ref name=Canoe747248/> MacIsaac got into a media spat with his label Loggerhead after the label sent out a press release distancing itself from his actions.<ref name=Canoe747248>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130115180619/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/M/Macisaac_Ashley/2000/07/19/747248.html "Skirting around"]}}. [[canoe.ca]], July 19, 2000.</ref> Also the same year, MacIsaac told the ''[[Halifax Chronicle-Herald]]'' that he was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, retracted the statement within a few days, and then actually filed for bankruptcy several months later.<ref name=Canoe747248 />
He elicited a considerable amount of controversy in [[1996]], after being interviewed by ''[[Maclean's]]'' for their best of the year section, when he told the ''Maclean's'' interviewer that he had previously discussed his sexual life, including his underage boyfriend and his taste for [[urolagnia]], in an interview with the [[LGBT]] newsmagazine ''[[The Advocate]]''. For its part, ''The Advocate'' did not print any of the controversial assertions, but ''Maclean's'' dropped him from the list and instead wrote a disparaging article on him.
[[Image:Liberal Campaign Rally with Ignatieff and MacIsaac (1).jpg|thumb|right|200px|MacIsaac playing at a 2011 Liberal Campaign Rally with [[Michael Ignatieff]].]]
In 2003, MacIsaac was alleged to have made a racist statement on stage, at a show where he reportedly accused an Asian woman in the audience of spreading [[SARS]]. He subsequently stated that the comment was intended as an [[irony|ironic]] parody of racism, and sued the ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'' for misrepresenting the statement as racist when in fact he was speaking out against [[racial profiling]] happening in Canada at the time.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/macisaac-sues-newspaper-over-alleged-racist-label-1.382632 | publisher=[[CBC News]] | title=MacIsaac sues newspaper over alleged racist label | date=May 13, 2003 | access-date=October 18, 2017}}</ref> In 2005, MacIsaac signed on with Linus Entertainment, forming a rock band with himself on lead vocals and guitar. In 2010, MacIsaac wrote a charity single, "Dreams", to benefit [[Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong]], a skier from [[Ghana]] who was the first Ghanaian athlete ever to compete in the [[Winter Olympics]].<ref name=dreams>"Ghana's Snow Leopard records Olympic dream song with Canadian fiddler MacIsaac". [[Canadian Press]], February 19, 2010.</ref> In addition to Matthew Harder of the band House of Doc and [[Geoffrey Kelly]], [[Vince Ditrich]] and [[Tobin Frank]] of the band [[Spirit of the West]], Nkrumah-Acheampong himself participated in the recording, playing traditional Ghanaian percussion.<ref name=dreams /> The single, credited to the Parallel Band, was released to [[iTunes]] on February 19, 2010.<ref name=dreams /> MacIsaac also performed in the [[2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony|opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Games]] in Vancouver.<ref>[https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/weekend-post/you-oughta-juno-what-happened-to-those-artists-voted-most-likely-to-succeed-part-1-1986-1999 "You oughta Juno: What happened to those artists voted most likely to succeed? Part 2 — 1986 – 1999"]. ''National Post'', David Berry and Rebecca Tucker | March 14, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2021.</ref>


In 2016, MacIsaac co-hosted, with [[Heather Rankin (singer)|Heather Rankin]], the [[East Coast Music Awards]].<ref name="east">{{cite web |website=East Coast Music Awards |url=http://ecma.com/news/ashley-macisaac-and-heather-rankin-announced-as-hosts-for-2016-east-coast-music-awards-gala |title=Ashley MacIsaac and Heather Rankin announced as hosts for 2016 East Coast Music Awards gala |date=November 2, 2015 |access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref>
Also the same year, MacIsaac toured the [[United States]] as an opening act for [[The Chieftains]]. Another opener, folk singer [[Nanci Griffith]], dropped out of the tour citing MacIsaac's musical incompatibility with her fans.


==Political involvement==
In [[1997]], he reportedly gave a lewd performance, containing swear words at an all-ages venue in [[Fort Erie, Ontario|Fort Erie]]. Shortly thereafter, Ashley fought successfully to be independent of his record label and was dropped from [[Universal Music]]. He subsequently signed with the independent label [[Loggerhead Records]] for his [[1999]] album ''Helter's Celtic''. During the promotional tour for that album, he revealed to the press that he had previously battled an addiction to [[crack cocaine]].
MacIsaac has declared an interest in politics and has stated, in a letter to the ''[[National Post]]'', that he is studying [[constitutional law]] so as to pursue an entry into Canadian federal politics.


In the March 20, 2006, edition of the ''[[Halifax Daily News]]'', MacIsaac declared himself a candidate for the [[Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, 2006|leadership]] of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]].<ref name=canenc/><ref name="cbc.ca"/> He denied that his campaign was a [[publicity stunt]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060321/macIsaac_liberals_060321?s_name=&no_ads=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224103637/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060321/macIsaac_liberals_060321?s_name=&no_ads=|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 24, 2007|title=MacIsaac denies leadership bid is a stunt|publisher=[[CTV News]]|access-date=2009-04-23}}</ref> telling the [[Canadian Press]] that he fully intended to mount a serious campaign, but on June 21, 2006, he decided to no longer take part in the leadership race.<ref name=canenc/> In 2013, he again suggested to the press that he was interested in entering politics, although he did not specify for which political party.<ref name=windsor/>
Also in 1999, MacIsaac again gave a controversial performance at a show in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], in which his entire performance consisted of a 20-minute rant containing numerous expletives and, allegedly, several [[racism|racist]] statements which Ashley says were intended as verbal irony,much like is used in South Park. In [[2003]], MacIsaac was again alleged to have made racist statements on stage, at a show where he reportedly accused an [[Asia]]n woman in the audience of spreading [[SARS]]. He subsequently stated that the comment was intended as a "parody" of racism, and sued the ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'' for misrepresenting the statement as racist when in fact he was against racial profiling happening in Canada at the time.


== Equipment and playing style ==
On more than one occasion, MacIsaac has also told journalists that he was on the verge of declaring [[bankruptcy]], and then retracted the statement within a few days.
MacIsaac plays a right-handed fiddle left-handed, most notably allowing it to remain strung right-handed,<ref>Thomson, Ryan J. (2003). ''Playing Violin and Fiddle Left Handed'', p.42. Captain Fiddle. {{ISBN|9780931877421}}. "Ashley MaIsaac...plays left handed on a regular right handed violin."</ref> a highly unusual style of playing. MacIsaac however explained in a 2014 interview for the [[Celtic Colours]] Festival that during his first fiddle lesson with Stan Chapman when his father asked if he should change the strings around the other way, Stan said "Well, if you change the strings on your fiddle, you'll never be able to play anyone else's fiddle. So if he's gonna learn that way, learn that way". In the same interview, MacIsaac also elaborated that his unorthodox playing style allows the ''lower'' notes to remain on the ''lower'' side of the fiddle, and this allows him to go ''up'' to the ''higher'' notes; he said it "just makes sonic sense" to him to have the strings upside down.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://celtic-colours.com/artists/ashley-macisaac/ |title=Ashley MacIsaac |website=Celtic Colours International Festival |access-date=March 24, 2021 |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929013333/https://celtic-colours.com/artists/ashley-macisaac/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==New directions==
In [[2005]], MacIsaac pursued a new direction, forming a rock band with himself on lead vocals and guitar. He has declared an interest in politics and has stated, in a letter to the ''[[National Post]]'', that he is studying constitutional law so as to pursue an entry into Canadian federal politics.

In the [[March 20]] [[2006]] edition of the ''[[Halifax Daily News]]'', MacIsaac declared himself a candidate for the [[Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006|leadership]] of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]]. [http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=4733&sc=1] Some Canadian journalists, including [[Mike Duffy]], have suggested that MacIsaac's campaign is primarily a [[publicity stunt]] to promote his new CD ''Pride'' which was released just a day after declaring himself a candidate. However, MacIsaac has told [[Canadian Press]] that he fully intends to mount a serious campaign.
In a comment to national press, another fiddler turned politician, Rodney MacDonald, Premier of Nova Scotia, praised MacIsaac by stating it would be a nice thing to see him in federal politics. Both MacIsaac and MacDonald played in a group together in the late eighties called The Next Generation and have been friends for many years, starting out as the only two well known young male step dancers from Cape Breton. Rodney is, however, from the opposite end of the political spectrum, a Conservative, whereas Ashley is a life-long Liberal.


==Discography==
==Discography==
* ''Close to the Floor'' (1992)
* ''A Cape Breton Christmas'' (1993)
* ''Hi™ How Are You Today?'' (1995)
* ''Fine®, Thank You Very Much'' (1996)
* ''Helter's Celtic'' (1999)
* ''Cape Breton Fiddle Music Not Calm'' (2001)
* ''Ashley MacIsaac'' (2003)
* ''Live at the Savoy'' (2004)
* ''Fiddle Music 101'' (2005)
* ''Pride'' (2006)


===Albums===
MacIsaac has also published an [[autobiography]], ''Fiddling with Disaster'' in [[2003]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Chart Positions
! rowspan="2"| CRIA
|-
! style="width:50px;"| <small>CAN</small>
! style="width:50px;"| <small>CAN Country</small>
! style="width:50px;"| <small>[[Top Heatseekers|US Heat]]</small>
|-
| 1992
| ''Close to the Floor''
| style="text-align:center;"| 71
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|
|
|-
| 1993
| ''A Cape Breton Christmas'' <small>(Ashley MacIsaac and Friends)</small>
|
|
|
|
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Hi™ How Are You Today?]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 20
| style="text-align:center;"| 2× Platinum<ref name="east" />
|-
| 1996
| ''Fine®, Thank You Very Much''
| style="text-align:center;"| 24
|
|
|
|-
| 1999
| ''Helter's Celtic''
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2001
| ''capebretonfiddlemusicNOTCALM'' <small>(with Howie MacDonald)</small>
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2003
| ''Ashley MacIsaac''
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2004
| ''Live at the Savoy''
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2005
| ''Fiddle Music 101'' <small>(with [[Dave MacIsaac]])</small>
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2006
| ''Pride''
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2008
| ''The Best of Ashley MacIsaac''
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2011
| ''Crossover''
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2014
| ''Beautiful Lake Ainslie'' <small>(with Barbara MacDonald Magone)</small>
|
|
|
|
|-
| 2016
| ''FDLER'' <small>(featuring Ashley MacIsaac and Jay "Sticks" Andrews)</small>
|
|
|
|
|}


==Trivia==
===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single
! colspan="6"| Chart Positions
! rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! style="width:45px;"| <small>CAN AC</small>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>CAN Dance</small>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>CAN</small>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>[[Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks|US Adult]]</small>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>[[Hot Dance Club Play|US Dance]]</small>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]</small>
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1995
| "The Square Dance Song" <small>(with [[BKS (band)|BKS]])</small>
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 18
|
|
|
|
| ''Astroplane'' <small>(BKS album)</small>
|-
| "Sleepy Maggie"
| style="text-align:center;"| 42
| style="text-align:center;"| 15
| style="text-align:center;"| 13
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 29
| style="text-align:center;"| 102
| rowspan="3"| ''Hi™ How Are You Today?''
|-
| "The Devil in the Kitchen"
| style="text-align:center;"| 47
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 53
|
|
|
|-
| 1997
| "Brenda Stubbert"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| 1998
| "Great Divide" <small>(with [[Bruce Hornsby]])</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| 43
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 33
|
|
| ''[[Spirit Trail]]'' <small>(Bruce Hornsby album)</small>
|}


==Filmography==
*Ashley's sister [[Lisa MacIsaac|Lisa]] is also a touring fiddler.
* ''[[The Hanging Garden (film)|The Hanging Garden]]'' – Basil, wedding musician (1997)
* ''[[Power Play (1998 TV series)|Power Play]]'' – himself (one episode, 1999)
* ''[[New Waterford Girl]]'' – Town fiddler (1999)
* ''[[Nabbie no koi]]'' – Ashley O'Connor (1999)
* ''[[Marion Bridge (film)|Marion Bridge]]'' – Mickey (2002)
* ''[[Life and Times (TV series)|Life and Times]]'' – himself (one episode, 2005)
* ''[[Through the Times]]'' Self released DVD – himself at the Doryman Tavern
* ''[[Under Great White Northern Lights]]'' – Ashley performance [[Savoy Theatre, Glace Bay]] (2009)
* ''[[Storage Wars Canada]]'' – as himself, appraises found violin (2015)
* ''[[Celebrity Portraits]]'' – as himself 2 episodes (2009)
* ''Son of Man'' – Mark (short film, 2023)


==See also==
*Ashley's brother is named Henry "Hank" Snow. Henry is a diamond mine employee in the Northern Territories of Canada.
{{Portal|Canada|Music}}
*[[Music of Canada]]
*[[Canadian rock]]
*[[List of Canadian musicians]]


==References==
* In the manga series ''[[Bleach_(manga)|Bleach]]'', the author [[Tite Kubo]] gives main characters theme songs based on their personality, and MacIsaac's "Wingstock" is the theme of character [[Rukia Kuchiki]].
{{Reflist|2
| refs =<ref name="cbc.ca">
{{cite news
| url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/fiddler-ashley-macisaac-pledges-to-run-for-liberal-leadership-1.586784
| title = Fiddler Ashley MacIsaac pledges to run for Liberal leadership
| date = March 22, 2006
| publisher = [[CBC Arts]]
| access-date = October 18, 2017
}}</ref><ref name="junoawards.ca">
{{cite web
| url = http://junoawards.ca/awards/artist-summary/?artist_name=Ashley+MacIsaac&submit=Search
| title = Juno Awards Database
| work = junoawards.ca
| publisher = [[Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]]
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023106/http://junoawards.ca/awards/artist-summary/?artist_name=Ashley+MacIsaac&submit=Search
| archive-date = 2016-03-04
| access-date = January 6, 2012
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>
}}


==External link==
==External links==
* [http://ashley-macisaac.com/ Ashley MacIsaac]
* [http://ashleymacisaac.com/index.html Ashley MacIsaac] Official website
* {{IMDb name|id=0532893}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Canada Liberal leadership 2006}}


[[Category:1975 births|Macisaac, Ashley]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macisaac, Ashley}}
[[Category:Living people|MacIsaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Canadian fiddlers|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nova Scotia musicians|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Canadian autobiographers]]
[[Category:Gay musicians|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Canadian rock violinists]]
[[Category:LGBT people from Canada|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Canadian male violinists and fiddlers]]
[[Category:Cape Breton fiddlers]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Gay politicians|MacIsaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Celtic fusion musicians]]
[[Category:LGBT politicians from Canada|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Celtic hip hop musicians]]
[[Category:People from Inverness County, Nova Scotia|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Canadian gay musicians]]
[[Category:Scottish Canadians|Macisaac, Ashley]]
[[Category:Canadian gay writers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Nova Scotia]]
[[fr:Ashley MacIsaac]]
[[Category:People from Inverness County, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo winners]]
[[Category:Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male singers]]
[[Category:Canadian folk singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year winners]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian LGBT people]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian LGBT people]]
[[Category:Canadian male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters]]

Latest revision as of 01:35, 21 April 2024

Ashley MacIsaac
MacIsaac performing at the Burlington Sound of Music festival in 2010. Neil MacIntosh also pictured on drums.
Background information
Birth nameAshley Dwayne MacIsaac
Born (1975-02-24) February 24, 1975 (age 49)
Creignish, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada
GenresCeltic fusion, folk, rock
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Fiddle, Piano, vocals
Years active1992–present
LabelsA&M, RCA, Decca, Linus, Loggerhead
Websiteashleymacisaac.com

Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac (born February 24, 1975) is a Canadian fiddler, pianist, singer and songwriter from Cape Breton Island. He has received three Juno Awards, winning for Best New Solo Artist and Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo at the Juno Awards of 1996, and for Best Instrumental Artist at the Juno Awards of 1997. His 1995 album Hi™ How Are You Today? was a double-platinum selling Canadian record. MacIsaac published an autobiography, Fiddling with Disaster in 2003.

Life and family[edit]

MacIsaac was born in Creignish, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island. His sister Lisa is also a fiddler, who has her own alternative country band, Madison Violet.[1] She also appears on his album Helter's Celtic, which was recorded at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario.

His cousins Alexis MacIsaac, Wendy MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster are also touring fiddlers.[2] He is also a distant cousin of the White Stripes guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White. The two met and MacIsaac opened for the White Stripes concert in Glace Bay in 2007.[3]

In 2007, MacIsaac married Andrew Stokes.[4][5] According to MacIsaac, spoken during his February 25, 2017, concert at Koerner Hall in Toronto, they are now divorced. He lives in Windsor, Ontario.[6]

Career[edit]

MacIsaac's album Hi™ How Are You Today?, featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie", with vocals in Scottish Gaelic by Mary Jane Lamond was released in 1995. The song peaked at number 13 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart[7] and found minor success in the United States, reaching number two on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.[8] Hi™ How Are You Today? was a double-platinum selling Canadian record[9] and earned MacIsaac a 1996 Juno in the category Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo.[10] During his early career, MacIsaac subtly acknowledged his sexual identity, sometimes wearing a set of rainbow flag freedom rings on a neck chain in promotional photos,[11] but avoided explicitly coming out to the press.[11] He officially came out in 1996 after Frank, a Canadian gossip magazine, published a cover story about his sexuality.[12] In 1996, in a Maclean's interview, he claimed that he had discussed his sexual life, including his young boyfriend and a claimed fondness for watersports, in an interview with the LGBT newsmagazine The Advocate.[13][14] The Advocate did not print any of the material,[13] but Maclean's dropped him from its year-end honours list.[15]

In 1996, MacIsaac toured the United States as an opening act for the Chieftains.[16] It was widely reported in the media that another opener, folk singer Nanci Griffith, dropped out of the tour because she objected to MacIsaac's musical style,[16] but Griffith later confirmed in Rolling Stone that her primary conflict was not with MacIsaac's style, but with tour organizers over how much time was available for her after the addition of MacIsaac to the bill.[17] On a 1997 Late Night with Conan O'Brien appearance, his leg kick lifted his kilt high enough that his genitals were visible to the studio audience, although they were blurred out in post-production before the actual broadcast.[18] On that same year he also featured as a guest on Toronto indie rock band Glueleg's final studio album, Clodhopper, specifically on the album's second track, "See Saw Man".[19][20]

In 1998 MacIsaac fought successfully to be independent of his record label.[21] He subsequently signed with the independent label Loggerhead Records for his 1999 album Helter's Celtic. During the promotional tour for that album, he indicated to the press that he had battled an addiction to crack cocaine from 1997 to 1999.[15] In 1999, a journalist for The New Yorker noted MacIsaac's rock-star bravado and eccentricities.[22]

In December 1999, MacIsaac screamed obscenities at a New Year's Eve rave in Halifax; the performance led to cancellations of his concerts across Canada and a "media frenzy over his perceived downward spiral".[23] MacIsaac got into a media spat with his label Loggerhead after the label sent out a press release distancing itself from his actions.[23] Also the same year, MacIsaac told the Halifax Chronicle-Herald that he was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, retracted the statement within a few days, and then actually filed for bankruptcy several months later.[23]

MacIsaac playing at a 2011 Liberal Campaign Rally with Michael Ignatieff.

In 2003, MacIsaac was alleged to have made a racist statement on stage, at a show where he reportedly accused an Asian woman in the audience of spreading SARS. He subsequently stated that the comment was intended as an ironic parody of racism, and sued the Ottawa Citizen for misrepresenting the statement as racist when in fact he was speaking out against racial profiling happening in Canada at the time.[24] In 2005, MacIsaac signed on with Linus Entertainment, forming a rock band with himself on lead vocals and guitar. In 2010, MacIsaac wrote a charity single, "Dreams", to benefit Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, a skier from Ghana who was the first Ghanaian athlete ever to compete in the Winter Olympics.[25] In addition to Matthew Harder of the band House of Doc and Geoffrey Kelly, Vince Ditrich and Tobin Frank of the band Spirit of the West, Nkrumah-Acheampong himself participated in the recording, playing traditional Ghanaian percussion.[25] The single, credited to the Parallel Band, was released to iTunes on February 19, 2010.[25] MacIsaac also performed in the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.[26]

In 2016, MacIsaac co-hosted, with Heather Rankin, the East Coast Music Awards.[9]

Political involvement[edit]

MacIsaac has declared an interest in politics and has stated, in a letter to the National Post, that he is studying constitutional law so as to pursue an entry into Canadian federal politics.

In the March 20, 2006, edition of the Halifax Daily News, MacIsaac declared himself a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.[13][27] He denied that his campaign was a publicity stunt,[28] telling the Canadian Press that he fully intended to mount a serious campaign, but on June 21, 2006, he decided to no longer take part in the leadership race.[13] In 2013, he again suggested to the press that he was interested in entering politics, although he did not specify for which political party.[6]

Equipment and playing style[edit]

MacIsaac plays a right-handed fiddle left-handed, most notably allowing it to remain strung right-handed,[29] a highly unusual style of playing. MacIsaac however explained in a 2014 interview for the Celtic Colours Festival that during his first fiddle lesson with Stan Chapman when his father asked if he should change the strings around the other way, Stan said "Well, if you change the strings on your fiddle, you'll never be able to play anyone else's fiddle. So if he's gonna learn that way, learn that way". In the same interview, MacIsaac also elaborated that his unorthodox playing style allows the lower notes to remain on the lower side of the fiddle, and this allows him to go up to the higher notes; he said it "just makes sonic sense" to him to have the strings upside down.[30]

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

Year Album Chart Positions CRIA
CAN CAN Country US Heat
1992 Close to the Floor 71 10
1993 A Cape Breton Christmas (Ashley MacIsaac and Friends)
1995 Hi™ How Are You Today? 9 20 2× Platinum[9]
1996 Fine®, Thank You Very Much 24
1999 Helter's Celtic
2001 capebretonfiddlemusicNOTCALM (with Howie MacDonald)
2003 Ashley MacIsaac
2004 Live at the Savoy
2005 Fiddle Music 101 (with Dave MacIsaac)
2006 Pride
2008 The Best of Ashley MacIsaac
2011 Crossover
2014 Beautiful Lake Ainslie (with Barbara MacDonald Magone)
2016 FDLER (featuring Ashley MacIsaac and Jay "Sticks" Andrews)

Singles[edit]

Year Single Chart Positions Album
CAN AC CAN Dance CAN US Adult US Dance US
1995 "The Square Dance Song" (with BKS) 18 Astroplane (BKS album)
"Sleepy Maggie" 42 15 13 29 102 Hi™ How Are You Today?
"The Devil in the Kitchen" 47 53
1997 "Brenda Stubbert"
1998 "Great Divide" (with Bruce Hornsby) 43 33 Spirit Trail (Bruce Hornsby album)

Filmography[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Musical duo: Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac". Xtra!. June 4, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "MacMaster now has time to fiddle a bit". London Free Press, August 26, 2004.
  3. ^ "Ashley MacIsaac to open for White Stripes". CBC News. June 15, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  4. ^ "Fiddler MacIsaac marries on stage". CBC News. February 18, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  5. ^ "MacIsaac marries sweetheart onstage at music awards". Ottawa Citizen. February 19, 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Musician Ashley MacIsaac hints at political run in Windsor". CBC News. September 23, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1898". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 17, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  8. ^ "Ashley MacIsaac Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c "Ashley MacIsaac and Heather Rankin announced as hosts for 2016 East Coast Music Awards gala". East Coast Music Awards. November 2, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Juno Awards Database". junoawards.ca. Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  11. ^ a b "Fishbowl living hard for fiddling sensation". Victoria Times-Colonist, September 19, 1995.
  12. ^ "He's baacckk!: Ashley MacIsaac comes clean about the recent chaos on tour and his lifestyle". Kingston Whig-Standard, September 7, 1996.
  13. ^ a b c d ""Ashley MacIsaac". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  14. ^ Fitzgerald, Nicole (March 9, 2007). "MacIsaac No Longer Fiddling Around". Pique News Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Cracking up"[usurped]. canoe.ca, October 29, 1999.
  16. ^ a b "MacIsaac outlasts Griffith in tour feud". Edmonton Journal, July 16, 1996.
  17. ^ "These Days: Nanci Griffith". Rolling Stone.
  18. ^ "Fiddler MacIsaac bares all on TV". Toronto Star, February 19, 1997.
  19. ^ Sweet, Matthew (March 28, 1997). "Blue Sky on Mars" (PDF). Entertainment. p. 21. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  20. ^ "See Saw Man". YouTube. April 21, 2020. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "MacIsaac is out on his own"[usurped]. canoe.ca, July 13, 1998.
  22. ^ "Sex, Drugs, and Fiddling: Is the Celtic virtuoso Ashley MacIssac Too Wild for Rock and Roll?". December 20, 1999. Archived from the original on May 28, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  23. ^ a b c "Skirting around"[usurped]. canoe.ca, July 19, 2000.
  24. ^ "MacIsaac sues newspaper over alleged racist label". CBC News. May 13, 2003. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  25. ^ a b c "Ghana's Snow Leopard records Olympic dream song with Canadian fiddler MacIsaac". Canadian Press, February 19, 2010.
  26. ^ "You oughta Juno: What happened to those artists voted most likely to succeed? Part 2 — 1986 – 1999". National Post, David Berry and Rebecca Tucker | March 14, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  27. ^ "Fiddler Ashley MacIsaac pledges to run for Liberal leadership". CBC Arts. March 22, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  28. ^ "MacIsaac denies leadership bid is a stunt". CTV News. Archived from the original on February 24, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
  29. ^ Thomson, Ryan J. (2003). Playing Violin and Fiddle Left Handed, p.42. Captain Fiddle. ISBN 9780931877421. "Ashley MaIsaac...plays left handed on a regular right handed violin."
  30. ^ "Ashley MacIsaac". Celtic Colours International Festival. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2021.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashley_MacIsaac&oldid=1219973627"