Cream’s Jack Bruce honoured with sculpture in Glasgow
Cream legend Jack Bruce has been honoured by his alma mater with the installation of a sculpture at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The late bassist studied cello and composition at the RCS (then known as the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) from 1958 to 1961 and already has a social area at the Glasgow music school named in his honour – The Jack Bruce space.
The new memorial sculpture was created by artist and Royal Conservatoire alumna, Hazel Blue, having been commissioned by Royal Conservatoire Archives Officer, Stuart Harris-Logan.
The sculpture is made from wood, perspex and metal and features some of Jack’s very own bass guitar strings. Laser etched on to the artwork is an inspiring quote from Jack that reads: “Failure can be a triumph but fear of failure is always a disaster.”
Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “Jack Bruce was a prodigious talent, a natural musician whose art and legacy will inspire students for decades to come.
“From Eric Clapton to Manfred Mann and Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, Jack’s collaborators read like a who’s who of the music business, testament to his outstanding musicianship and versatility.
“We are delighted to be remembering his musical legacy with this artwork here at the Royal Conservatoire.”
The sculpture was unveiled at a recent reception event attended by Jack’s widow Margrit and daughter Kyla. It was followed by a Blue Mondays concert featuring jazz students from Scotland’s national conservatoire.
Glasgow-born Jack won a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama when he was 16-years-old. In 2009, five years before his untimely death, Jack was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music.
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