Norman Maclean

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Norman Hector Mackinnon Maclean (Scottish Gaelic: Tormod MacGill-Eain, Glasgow, Scotland, 26 December 1936 – 31 August 2017) was a Scottish Gaelic comedian, novelist, poet, musician and broadcaster. He is the only person to have won both Bardic Crown and Gold Medal at the same Royal National Mòd (the main festival of Scottish Gaelic literature, song, arts and culture). His struggles with alcoholism are documented in his autobiography, The Leper's Bell: Autobiography of a Changeling. Maclean was born in Glasgow in 1936, but was evacuated to Lochaber in 1940 where he was brought up by Gaelic speaking relatives. He spent a part of his childhood in South Uist and Benbecula. He then went to Glasgow where he attended Bellahouston Academy. His father died suddenly when Maclean was 15. Maclean attended Glasgow University. He trained to become a teacher but also started to perform songs and piping. In the early 1970s he expanded his repertoire by spending more time on jokes between songs and became a stand-up comedian (similar to the progression made by Billy Connolly with whom he was often compared). He wrote and starred in his own TV show "Tormod Air Telly". Maclean provided the vocal talents for several re-dubbings of children's programmes into Gaelic - most notably "Donnie Murdo", the Gaelic version of Danger Mouse. He played the lead role of the Miller in the 1998 BBC Alba children's programme Baile Mhuilinn. Throughout his life, Maclean had a destructive relationship with alc

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