Under the stage name of Will Starr, Willie Starrs of Croy came to be known internationally as the King of Scottish Accordionists. For many years he was associated with television's White Heather Club and with The Royal Clansmen Company. He made many appearances in theatres up and down the country as well as abroad and on televised Hogmanay shows, the last being in 1975.
Willie was famous at home and abroad and toured the U.S.A and Canada twenty-six times. He even appeared at Carnegie Hall. He was created Honorary Mayor of Chilliwack in British Columbia as a mark of his tremendous popularity. Scottish exiles turned up in great crowds to hear him. His very own composition, The Jacqueline Waltz, is still a favourite accordion tune played in his memory by well-known accordionists. The present writer has a treasured recollection of Willie giving him a private performance of Handel's Largo around midnight one night, after walking home from a late bus at Auchinstarry, demonstrating a classical side to Willie's musical genius that was seldom displayed.
When Willie died on March 6th 1976 Croy Silver Band played the funeral march as the cortège made its way to Holy Cross Church. Many celebrities of Scottish show business attended his funeral: amongst these were Jimmy Shand Senior, Jimmy Shand Junior, Alex Finlay, Johnny Beattie, Bill Powrie (accordionist), Joe Gordon, John McLuskey (tenor) and several members of The Royal Clansmen Company. The cortège, walking to Kilsyth Cemetery, as was our tradition, was over a mile long. After the funeral, speaking on behalf of the artistes present, Alex Finlay declared, "Will was truly loved in our profession as he was in this village of Croy." Amen to that!
Recently (in June 2002) some rare lost recordings of Willie's from 1965-66 were rediscovered and digitally restored for release on CD to enhance their sound quality. These include many old favourites that his admirers, locally and country wide, can look forward to hearing afresh.