Irvin was born in the North-East area of Scotland, and started piano
lessons aged 8. Within months he had also wandered home from school with a
violin, much to his parent's surprise, and he took lessons in both instruments
throughout his school years.
After years of entertaining the locals in a group with his sister, the first proper band he joined, aged 13 or 14, was a folk band. From that he graduated to a function/country-western band, which he played in untill he was 16, and used all his earnings to buy new synths. and electric pianos.
Aged 17, Irvin left school and moved 200 miles away to Glasgow to study music at the RSAMD. During this time, most of his friends were in Jazz bands, but Irvin steered clear of this, Jazz not being one of his interests.
After those college years, he spent his time working in various bands to try to make a living. It was in one of these bands that he met James Finnigan, ex-Hue and Cry bassist, who subsequently left to work on an album with his new band. Some months later Irvin got a call from James, did he want to play live in a new band? That band was Stiltskin, and the band toured Europe throughout 1994 and 1995, during which time he met the boys from Gun. Jump to 1997, and Gun needed a keyboard player to promote their new album. Irvin was delighted to be offered the job, and again found himself touring Europe and beyond with another Scottish rock band. Sadly, Gun decided to quit within several months, and Irvin spent the next 3 years working on any gigs he could to finance an original project called Aura, a Glasgow band with a promising future. But disaster struck in 2000 when the lead singer quit the band, just as they were starting to attract management interest.
Again Irvin gigged around, until he was put forward as a contender for Fish's band by Ted McKenna (Sensational Alex Harvey Band drummer). After a brief interview, Irvin commenced work with Fish, gigging and ultimately helping to co-write Fish's Field Of Crows album. A difference of opinion led Irvin to walk out of the recording sessions for the album, and so the Fish years were over.
Irvin had regularly been in touch with Ray throughout the last 10 years or so, as well as playing on some of his solo albums, and was formally invited to join Ray's band in 2004
Contact: irv@raywilson.net