Ashley MacIsaac
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Ashley MacIsaac, born February 24, 1975 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, is a professional fiddler.
Considered one of the best fiddlers in the world, MacIsaac (the cousin of Natalie MacMaster) is both an ardent traditionalist and a rebel. His playing is entirely traditional, yet he sets this playing in contemporary rock songs with hip-hop and dance elements.
He caused a considerable amount of controversy after being interviewed by Maclean's, intended for their best of the year section, MacIsaac, who is openly gay, revealed that his boyfriend was sixteen years old, and that he enjoys urolagnia and crystal meth. Maclean's dropped him from the list and instead wrote a disparaging article on him. He lost his label deal with A&M records after other incidents, the most memorable being his drunken, lewd performance, complete with swear words and kilt-raising flashing, at a family venue.
He arguably reached his peak with 1995's Hi How Are You Today?, which featured the hit single, "Sleepy Maggie" with vocals by Gaelic preservationist Mary Jane Lamond. In 2003 the release of his self-titled album on Decca finally broke his pattern of releasing one traditional album, then one crossover album.
In 2005, MacIsaac has begun to rise from the ashes of his former career. Sober and cleaned up, he has formed a rock band, with him as lead vocals. He will be releasing a new CD in the upcoming months of this year. Unapologetic, MacIsaac, is now looking towards salvaging an on- and off-again career.