Amy MacDonald

Amy MacDonald is a Scottish singer/songwriter who, at the age of 20, began topping the European charts with her Celtic-tinged folk music.

Born on August 25, 1987, she studied social sciences while attending university and, like many teenagers, spent her days dreaming of pilgrimages to music festivals like T in the Park.

Inspired by the songwriting skills of Francis Healy and the sweeping pop/rock of Travis, the 12-year-old MacDonald picked up a guitar that had been left lying around the house from her father's pop group days.

She taught herself the instrument by following "how to play guitar" advice on the Internet rather than taking structured lessons, and the burgeoning songwriter played with a community music group before graduating to solo shows in the local area.

The gigs featured MacDonald, her acoustic guitar, and a set of cover songs including "Everybody Hurts" and a slow version of "Mad World." Before long, her slew of performances in local coffeehouses had turned into a mini-tour of Scotland, where she performed original material alongside headliners like Travis and fellow Scot Paolo Nutini.

Festival appearances followed, including stints at Glastonbury, T in the Park, and V.

MacDonald soon secured a recording deal with Vertigo Records (part of the Universal Music Group umbrella, and home to the Killers and Razorlight) before issuing two singles: "Poison Prince," a song about the tortured life of Pete Doherty offered as a limited online-only release, and "Mr.

Rock & Roll," which finally launched MacDonald into the Top 20.

Her debut album, This Is the Life, was released at the end of July 2007, where it climbed to number two during its first week on the charts.

Over the course of the next year, This Is the Life continued to gain momentum and eventually went multi-platinum in several European countries.

She began work on her sophomore effort in 2009, delivering the finished A Curious Thing -- another lucrative chart-topper -- in March 2010.

~ Sharon Mawer, Rovi

Scottish singer Amy Macdonald has revealed she has recorded a track alongside The Kinks frontman Ray Davies.

(BANG) -

Amy Macdonald has recorded a track with Ray Davies.

The Scottish singer - whose debut album 'This Is The Life' shot to number one in the UK charts -

Has a long list of people she wants to collaborate with, but doesn't think any of them will compare to her experience with the former Kinks frontman.

She exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I'm influenced by so many artists but I don't sound anything like them, which I think is a good thing. There are so many people who just end up sounding like tribute acts but with me, I'm inspired by people but I don't like to copy them. I love Bruce Springsteen and bands like The Killers, Oasis and Kasabian and all the rockers. I'm really passionate about that.

"I've just recorded an amazing track with Ray Davies from The Kinks. He is one of the most powerful songwriters there's ever been and has had so many hits, so to work with him was amazing for me. I'd be hard-pressed to beat that."

The 'Mr Rock and Roll' hitmaker is to perform at Hard Rock's PINKTOBER charity fundraiser concert in October - which will raise money for the Caron Keating Organisation - and admitted she would love the opportunity perform alongside fellow female pop acts The Bangles and Beverley Knight at the event.

She said: "We just have to wait and see what happens but The Bangles are such an iconic act I would love to perform alongside them and Beverley Knight has an amazing voice so it would be great to sing with her."