Rob Brydon, Beverley Knight, Deacon Blue And Dame Katherine Grainger To Feature at EICC Gala Dinner 17th July

Music sensations, Deacon Blue and Beverly Knight, and legendary comic, Rob Brydon are set to play at Scotland’s largest charity gala dinner hosted by The Hunter Foundation (“THF”) on the 17th of July at the EICC. Five-time Olympic medallist Dame Katherine Grainger will act as moderator of the conversation with former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Commenting Sir Tom Hunter, founder of THF said;

“Ricky Ross and Deacon Blue are up there on the world stage as fantastic Scottish musicians that command any venue in the world and it’s a real honour they have agreed to play for charity. Likewise Rob Brydon is one of the fastest witted comedians of the day and it will be a real pleasure having him both compere for the evening and do a stand up set. Beverley Knight is widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest soul singers.

“We are also thrilled to have inspiring Scottish sports sensation, Dame Katherine Grainger, moderating the conversation with Michelle Obama. It should be an absolutely fantastic evening.”

DEACON BLUE

With worldwide sales now in excess of seven million albums – including five albums in the UK Top Five and 17 singles in the UK Top 40 – Deacon Blue are one the UK’s biggest selling bands.  It is now 31 years since the band – founded in Glasgow and famously named after a Steely Dan song “Deacon Blues” – released their million-selling debut album, Raintown in 1987. A string of best-sellers followed: When the World Knows Your Name [1989], Fellow Hoodlums [1991], Whatever You Say, Say Nothing [1993] and a double-platinum compilation Our Town – The Greatest Hits [1994] which included Real Gone Kid, Fergus Sings the Blues, Dignity, Wages Day, Twist and Shout and many others.

BEVERLEY KNIGHT

Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight has been one of the UK’s most consistent artists for two decades, scoring several Top 10 albums, including the platinum selling Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight. She has sold over a million albums in the UK along the way, including four gold certified albums.

Her latest album Soulsville was released in June 2016 and went straight into the UK Top 10. She was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2007 for services to British music and charity, has won three MOBO Awards, and been nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards three times. She has recently undertaken a hugely successful foray into the world of musical theatre receiving an Olivier Award nomination for her role in Memphis The Musical as well as widespread acclaim for her starring roles in Cats and The Bodyguard.

ROB BRYDON

Rob was born in Swansea and studied drama at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.  He commenced his professional life as a radio and television presenter for BBC Wales.  

Rob first came to the public’s attention in 2000 with the shows Marion and Geoff and Human Remains, winning British Comedy Awards for both. Since then his comedy credits have included A Small Summer Party, The Keith Barret Show, Directors Commentary, Supernova, Cruise Of The Gods, Black Books, I’m Alan Partridge, Little Britain, Live At The Apollo, Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive, QI, The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, Have I Got News For You, Gavin and Stacey, Rob Brydon’s Identity Crisis, as well as hosting the successful panel show Would I Lie To You?.  He has also appeared in the following drama productions on television and film: Oliver Twist, Heroes and Villains: Napoleon, The Way We Live Now, Murder In Mind, Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore, Marple, 24 Hour Party People, A Cock and Bull Story, The Trip, Best of Men and appears with Steve Coogan in sitcom The Trip.  

Rob made his theatre debut in 2011 playing opposite Kenneth Branagh in The Painkiller at The Lyric Theatre in Belfast, and in 2012 appeared in the West End in Alan Ayckbourn’s A Chorus of Disapproval.

Rob is also well known for his versatile voice and is a regular contributor to popular radio programmes including I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, Just A Minute, and Loose Ends and is the voice of many animated characters in major films including The Legend of Treasure Island, Robbie The Reindeer, The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and most recently Early Man.

DAME KATHERINE GRAINGER

Katherine was born in Glasgow on the 12th November 1975.  She now lives by the Thames, near to the GB Rowing Squad base. She travels home to Scotland whenever possible where her family live in Edinburgh. Her sister Sarah lives in Beverley, East Yorkshire with her partner Steph and son Seth.

Katherine took up rowing at Edinburgh University in 1993 and made such good progress she was awarded the Eva Bailey Trophy as their most outstanding female athlete in 1996 and again in 1997 when she won her first international Gold medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships.

In 2012 Katherine’s dreams were realised when she won the elusive Olympic Gold medal alongside teammate Anna Watkins in the double sculls in London. She is Britain’s most successful female rower and the only female athlete – in any sport – to gain medals in four consecutive Olympic Games. Katherine was appointed Commander of the order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to rowing which was announced in the 2013 New Year’s Honours.

To round off a most exceptional 20 year rowing career, Katherine was named ‘Dame Katherine Grainger’ in the 2017 New Year’s Honours List for services to rowing and charity.