Douglas (Dougie) Vipond


1966 -

Musician, sports commentator and media personality. Born in Johnstone and brought up in Inchinnan (Renfrewshire), Vipond trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. He went on to play drums in the rock band Deacon Blue. The band, which was named after a Steely Dan song of the 1970s, was formed in Glasgow in 1985 by Ricky Ross (b.1957). It comprised Vipond, Graeme Kelling (1957 - 2004) on guitar, vocalist Lorraine McIntosh (b.1964), keyboard player Jim Prime (b.1960) on keyboards and bass guitarist Ewan Vernal (b.1964).

Their debut album Raintown (1987) was well-received and followed by others such as When The World Knows Your Name (1989) and Fellow Hoodlums (1991), with a succession of chart-topping hits including Dignity and Fergus Sings the Blues. The band grew to be one of Scotland's best-known acts of the 1980s, but split in 1994. They reformed to produce further albums; namely Walking Back Home (1999) and Homesick (2001).

In 1999, Vipond began a new career as a football commentator and sports presenter on both radio and television for BBC Scotland, including their flagship programme Sportscene. He also contributes to holiday programmes and presented the Kirsty Wark Show in 2000. He now lives with his wife and family in Culross.


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