Fiddling With Disaster: Clearing the Past

With dark humour and sometimes brutal honesty, Celtic musician Ashley MacIsaac tells of his rise from fiddle-playing prodigy in the village of Creignish, Cape Breton, to worldwide success with his unique mixture of traditional and contemporary sounds.

By his late teens, MacIsaac was on tour and making big money. He describes the highs (of various kinds) of playing to thousands of fans; of performing with renowned artists like Paul Simon, Philip Glass, and the Chieftains; and of hearing his Gaelic-language hit "Sleepy Maggie" blast from a radio in Los Angeles.

But he doesn't shy away from the downside of fame, such as money problems, unwanted media scrutiny and an addiction to crack cocaine.

The unusual twist in these familiar challenges of early stardom is MacIsaac's struggle with his sexuality and with public attitudes towards a gay performer.

The strongest undercurrent, however, is MacIsaac's abiding connection to his Celtic culture. His descriptions of his musical training and development reveal his commitment to his art and the depth of tradition in Cape Breton on which it is based.