The South African Rock Encyclopedia > Rock Legends > 1960s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / 2000s > Ramsay MacKay
Legend of South African Rock
Ramsay MacKay
15 August 1945 to 4 December 2018
Introduction
Born in Scotland in 1945, he moved to South Africa in 1953. Ramsay was the tortured genius of South African Rock and the founder of Freedoms Children. He was a singer, songwriter, poet and musician.
Ramsay’s songs have been performed by a variety of artists including Freedoms Children, Hawk, Wildebeest, Margaret Singana, Jack Hammer, Rabbitt, Piet Botha, Harambee, The Brian Davidson Band and others.
He died in Scotland in 2018.
Ramsay’s surname appears as both MacKay and Mackay in different sources. Without knowing his preference, I have tried to standardise it as ‘MacKay’ throughout, following traditional Scottish spelling.
Brian Currin