Scottish singer Ross Wilson, who performs under the name Blue Rose Code, has spoken out about his troubled past, which he has been reflecting on whilst releasing his latest and best-selling album. Wilson had been drinking heavily from before his teenage years and his mother was addicted to drugs. He has been to rehab numerous times and was sexually abused as a child. The latter was carried out by a man who was not a family member, but Wilson has forgiven his abuser, stating that he understands that abusers are often abused themselves.
Wilson, who is now a father of two and settled in Liverpool, will perform at the Celtic Connections Festival on Saturday 22 January in Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre. The festival has a special significance for him, as a trip to see Scottish folk legend John Martyn more than 20 years ago sparked his musical ambitions and inspired him to move to London. Wilson spent his teenage years listening to old Motown tunes on his Walkman whilst spending his days riding buses around Edinburgh. He stated that he had an “affinity and affection with a core of people,” who identify with his story or the stories he tells, and added, “alcoholism is something that affects all of us.”
Wilson’s latest album contains a melancholy song named ‘Sadie,’ written about his mother. She spent much of her life addicted to drugs, and Wilson describes their relationship as complex alongside making statements of the virtues of “loving from a distance.” It was only after his mother’s death last year that Wilson felt able to talk about the complexity of their relationship in more detail.
Whilst he remains committed to his music, Wilson is also working on a play and a seventh record. He now attends church but is without any particular faith. Despite all of the struggles from his past, Wilson stated that he does not have any regrets, and that the challenges he has faced can help people.
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