Dedication and commitment saw Alexander entered for the 1952 National Accordion Organisation Championships at the Christian Institute in Glasgow. At the time he was playing an old Hohner model, but at Brown’s last-minute suggestion used his Fratelli Crosio, which duly enabled him to win the championship, playing Pietro Frosini’s Bats at Sunset and Eugene Ettore’s Spanish Holiday.

The Alexander Brothers were famously parodied by Stanley Baxter, something which both brothers found hilarious, while their tartan-shortbread image arguably influenced popular culture several generations on. Lillian Welsh was just six when, peeking from the stage wings, she first laid eyes on the 13-year-old performer who was to become one half of Scotland’s musical legends The Alexander Brothers. I want him to be allowed to rest in peace and I want to be left in peace so that I can get over this terrible nightmare.” Paul Brown, Bluemoon Creative Design. "Welcome to Scotdisc Music and DVD Video". Scotdisc.co.uk . Retrieved 30 April 2012. Crae, Ross. "Tributes paid to legendary Alexander Brothers entertainer Tom Alexander". Sundaypost.com . Retrieved 10 January 2020.

The brothers' style of music moved out of fashion from the 1980s but they retained a strong fanbase and album re-releases on CD and DVDs of concerts led to a resurgence of interest.

The brothers became international stars after launching their career at the Webster Theatre, Arbroath, in 1958. With their father wary of his sons moving into showbusiness, he ensured they got a trade, and they served their time as painter and decorators by day, playing church halls and old people’s homes by night. In recognition of their contributions to the world of music, they received MBEs from the Queen in the 2005 New Year Honours List. [5] The ceremony took place in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Though their popularity had peaked, the duo enjoyed a long touring career. They toured Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. They appeared at the Sydney Opera House with Jimmy Shand as a guest, and also played in Carnegie Hall in New York City. A famous fan was Charlton Heston, who regularly saw them in Los Angeles. [3] In the mid 1990s, The Alexander Brothers began to release music videos, and later DVDs, to supplement their live performances. These new recordings contained many religious or devotional songs. Their most recent CDs and DVDs were produced by Bill Garden and Dougie Stevenson of the Kilsyth based company Scotdisc. [4]Theirs is a love story studded with stars such as Frank Sinatra and Shirley Bassey; a whirlwind of world tours, TV shows, Royal Command and London Palladium performances, and an Alexander Brothers hit record that outsold The Beatles. I got a phone call out of the blue last week from the production company looking for memorabilia. It was the first I had heard of the whole thing. Another favourite, These Are My Mountains, still brings a tear to the eye of expats all over the globe.

In September, he took a massive brain haemorrhage and then a stroke before he died at the beginning of November. It seems that I am completely powerless to stop this film being made, despite the fact it is going to put me through hell. As a composer too, Alexander excelled with numerous self-penned works such as Isle of My Heart, Bowie’s Boat, and Kenmore Gardens. He told a friend he didn’t have to ask his wife to make the programme, so why should he have to ask me.They signed a record deal and travelled the world performing Scottish favourites such as The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen and Bonnie Wee Jeannie McColl. Tom Alexander’s musical heroes included familiar names such as Jimmy Shand, but he also held in esteem the Norwegian accordion genius, Toralf Tollefsen. Tollefsen was renowned for his world-class prowess on the five-button accordion, an instrument Alexander regretted never using and thus expanding his range.

This did not stop him travelling the country’s circuit of accordion clubs, playing a mix of of light classics and Irish tunes as well as the traditional Scots works that appeared on his numerous solo albums. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19thed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p.18. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. Our house was always full of music and fun and life, with our dog Tapper and cat Tiger jumping around. Now that he is gone, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, no doubt looking to make money out of it.Nevertheless, in 1958 the pair turned professional, and secured a season at the Webster Theatre, Arbroath, as part of a variety show called the Arbroath Follies. Their initial repertoire of light classics, performed in suits, failed to endear them to audiences, and only when their manager Ross Bowie urged them to ditch the serious stuff and hitch up their kilts did they begin to make an impression. Within weeks, Tiger and Tapper died as well so I was suddenly left completely alone. The bottom fell out of my world.