Alex Duthart

Alex Duthart (7 October 1925 – 27 November 1986) was a Scottish drummer. He is widely regarded as having revolutionised pipe band snare drum playing.

Life Duthart was born on 7 October 1925 in Cambusnethan, near Wishaw in North Lanarkshire. His father John Duthart was an Ulsterman who worked as a blacksmith, and had played both the bass and snare drums for the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during the First World War.

For most of his life Duthart lived in Newmains, near where he was born, and worked as a blacksmith in the steel works at Motherwell. His elder brother John also played the pipes in the Home Guard band.

Duthart stayed with Shotts until 1982, with the exception of the years 1964 to 1967, when he led the Invergordon Distillery Pipe Band, and 1968 to 1969, when he led the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band. With both of those bands Duthart won the drumming title at the World Championships, in 1966 and 1967 with Invergordon Distillery, and with Edinburgh Police in 1968.

In 1982, Duthart joined the British Caledonian Airways Pipe Band, while playing for this band he suffered a fatal heart attack while lined up to play in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on 27 November 1986.