Singer-songwriter Eddi Reader was born in Glasgow and started playing the guitar aged ten. She began busking in the city before graduating to the streets of London and Europe. Reader then successfully auditioned to become a backing singer for punk band, Gang of Four, and went on tour. This was followed by a stint working as a session artist. Her career was launched around 1984 when she met Mark E. Nevin and together they formed Fairground Attractions. Although short lived, the band won a Brit award for their first album in 1989. In 1992 Reader recorded her first solo album followed by an award-winning second album in 1994. In 2003 she recorded a compilation of material by Robert Burns with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She received an MBE in 2006.