Midge Ure and Scottish stars back bid for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Image: BBC News
Some of Scotland's biggest music names are throwing their weight behind a plan to transform a troubled Glasgow building into the country's first Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame.
The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) on Sauchiehall Street closed earlier this year after a run of financial setbacks. Now the group ScotsRock wants to take it over and recast it as a hub celebrating Scotland's outsized contribution to global music.
Ultravox and Live Aid star Midge Ure has signed on as the project's inaugural patron. Lulu, Simple Minds' Jim Kerr, Travis and Del Amitri have also lent their support.
"This has never been done, and it should have been done," Ure said. "For a small country we punch way above our weight when it comes to global musicians. If you go to Cleveland, their Hall of Fame is very American — so I ask myself, why are we not doing the same in Scotland?"
Why it matters: Beyond nostalgia, the bid is a lifeline for a landmark venue and a statement of cultural confidence. ScotsRock envisions a creative-industries hub for emerging talent alongside year-round exhibitions, concerts and talks — a way to turn Scotland's musical past into fuel for its future.
The CCA's closure left a gap in Glasgow's arts scene, and the proposal arrives as cities across the UK scramble to keep cultural spaces alive amid squeezed budgets.
What's next: With marquee names now attached, ScotsRock must convince funders and the city that the revival can work — and decide exactly which Scottish legends earn a place on the wall.