Uilleann Pipes - Irish Whistles - Vocals
Hey Everyone! Eric here. On the road again with the Dubs (like always), somewhere in the middle of our huge country. I've been asked to add my world to the band bio page so I promise not to bore you.
First off, I want to thank all of you great people I meet at the shows for welcoming me into the fold. Some of you I already know from touring over the last eleven years with my own band, BAD HAGGIS. Being a special guest of the YOUNG DUBS has been both an adventure and a heck of a lot of fun. These are SUPER guys, but you already know that.
Having been friends in the Celtic music scene for years, our creative paths finally crossed when I recorded on REAL WORLD. When Keith called again for the recording of WITH ALL DUE RESPECT: THE IRISH SESSIONS, the relationship naturally continued onto the stage where I thus began ruining my diet and sleep schedule at truck stops and motels across America. Three CD's and three touring seasons later I'm still here as we mount our global assault with SAINTS AND SINNERS.
My love affair with Celtic music started as a toddler with my parents taking me to Scottish and Irish music festivals. I demanded (apparently) to start learning the Scottish Highland bagpipe at age seven where my obsession eventually led me to Scotland where I lived for a couple years studying with old masters, competing in the professional solo competitions, and being a member of one of Scotland's world champion pipe bands. While there, I discovered the Irish uilleann pipes: an esoteric, expressive, uncommon and largely unpopular cousin of the Scottish pipes - but not for long.
To say that my life changed after learning the uilleann pipes would be - well, let's just say it became very interesting. In the years to follow, a full-time music career began out of nowhere, and the sound of the pipes and whistles became the most sought-after sound in Hollywood and beyond. I found myself on 3 Oscar-winning films, playing for the world's biggest pop stars and burying a United States president. Here's where the ride has taken me:
Films - BRAVEHEART, TITANIC, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, AUSTIN POWERS: The Spy Who Shagged Me, TROY, MASTER AND COMMANDER, THE ROAD TO PERDITION, CINDERELLA MAN, THE FUGITIVE, LADDER 49, MADE OF HONOR, and about 50 other features.
CD's - JOSH GROBAN, PHIL COLLINS, ROD STEWART, BARBRA STREISAND, WHITNEY HOUSTON, MARIAH CAREY, TRACY CHAPMAN, FAITH HILL, MEATLOAF, KEITH URBAN, BETTE MIDLER, KENNY LOGGINS and hundreds of others.
TV - THE BURIAL OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, THE GRAMMY AWARDS, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, THE VIEW, REGIS AND KATHIE LEE, SOUTH PARK, THE SIMPSONS, CROSSING JORDAN, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION SHOW, JAG, and dozens more, including TV commercials for MCDONALDS, BURGER KING, BUDWEISER, ATT, FORD, CHEVROLET, OLDSMOBILE, TITLEIST GOLF, TAYLOR MADE GOLF, and scores of others.
As you can tell, time is a precious commodity in my life. I never know who's going to call or where I might end up, but I love it! Check out my own band on iTunes and at www.badhaggis.com, and my own website coming soon, www.ericrigler.com. Thanks!
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