Connery Leads Tributes To Scottish Singer Mckellar

SIR SEAN CONNERY has paid tribute to Scottish tenor KENNETH MCKELLAR, who has died at the age of 82.

The star passed away at his daughter Jane’s home on Friday (09Apr10) - just a week after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

McKellar began his career as an opera singer, and shot to fame with his recordings of Robert Burns’ songs.

He represented the U.K. in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1966, and went on to score chart hits with his song A Man Without Love and albums The World of Kenneth McKellar and Ecco Di Napoli (1970).

His varied career also saw him appear in traditional British pantomimes, and write comedy scripts, including several for the famous Monty Python comedy group.

And McKellar’s longtime friend, James Bond star Connery, has led the tributes to his late pal.

He says, “He worked tirelessly in the interests of young artistic talent in Scotland, using his huge international profile to encourage young Scots to excel. Kenneth’s death is an enormous loss to the nation, and above all of course to his family and friends, to whom I send my condolences.”