Nancy Whiskey

Who was Nancy Whiskey?

Nancy Whiskey was a Scottish folk singer, best known for the 1957 hit song, "Freight Train".

She was born Anne Alexandra Young Wilson, at Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland. While attending art school in Glasgow, Wilson performed on the local folk club circuit where she met fellow singer and guitarist Jimmie MacGregor who introduced her to blues and hillbilly music. She took her stage name from a Scottish folk song, "The Calton Weaver", which has a chorus of: "Whisky, whisky, Nancy whisky, Whisky, whisky, Nancy-O".

She was signed to Topic Records and moved to London in 1955. Although reluctant to surrender her reputation as a solo performer, she was persuaded to join the Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group to record Elizabeth Cotten's song "Freight Train". The record made the top five in the UK Singles Chart in 1957, and she also toured the United States with McDevitt’s group. "Freight Train" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

After a second, smaller hit, "Greenback Dollar", Whiskey left the group to resume a solo career and marry musician Bob Kelly, who became a member of her backing group, the Teetotallers. By the 1970s, she had largely retired from the music industry.