Jack Lee was born on December 6, 1957 in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. His parents moved to British Columbia when he was two years old and he grew up in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver. He began learning to play the bagpipes at age five, when he was given a half-size chanter by his uncle, Jack Ironside. “My parents were never pipers or drummers,” Jack reports. “My family's interest in piping came from my great grandfather, John Ironside. He was born in Glasgow and later moved to Seattle, Washington. While in the UK he served in the British Army. He was taught piping by Sandy Cameron and John MacDougall Gillies.
Jack’s piping career had been under the guidance of Pipe Major James MacMillan of Vancouver since he was a young boy. “Jimmy has been my primary teacher for 30 years,” Jack says. “He was born in Campbelton, Scotland, and received instruction from the Blind Piper - Archibald MacNeill as well as taking part in two sessions in the pipe majors’ course with Willie Ross. I have also had help from Angus J. MacLellan, Murray Henderson, and Jimmy McIntosh. I consider myself to be a dedicated Donald MacLeod fan and listen to his piobaireachd tapes for guidance.”
In 1981, Jack made a major impression on the world piping scene by winning the Gold Medal for piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting, Inverness, Scotland. The tune he played was “Black Donald’s March”. He also won the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society’s Silver Star in the Former Winners MSR playing “Bonnie Ann”, “Cameronian Rant”, and “The Little Cascade”. In honour of these accomplishments, he was awarded a Life Membership in the BC Pipers Association.
Jack Lee is a world class solo piper, Pipe sergeant of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, he also won the Gold and the Senior Piobaireachd at Oban in 2001. Clasp, Gold Medal, Silver Star (Twice) at Inverness; Senior Piobaireachd, and Gold Medal at Oban the MacCrimmon Memorial Cairn for Piobaireachd at the BC Pipers Annual Gathering (11 Times) and numerous other awards. In 2003, the first North American piper to win the Glenfiddich. |
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