Who do you think is the greatest Glaswegian of all time? This summer we are showcasing the top 50 men and women who have helped to put Glasgow on the map. Once they have all been revealed we will be holding a public vote to find the winner. Today we feature Bill Martin MBE, an award-winning songwriter, and Susan Baird, the second female Lord Provost of the city.

Bill Martin

Born in Govan in 1938, Bill Martin is a songwriter, music publisher and impresario. He has won three Ivor Novella Awards, and has written for the likes of Billy Connolly, Cilla Black, George Harrison and Elvis Presley.

Bill attended Govan High School where he was three years ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson. He was 10 years old when he wrote his first song.

After trying and failing to build a career in the shipyards, Bill completed his apprenticeship as a marine engineer, but it was during this internship that he heard Bobby Darin’s song ‘Dream Lover’ which convinced him that his future lay in songwriting.

His first song released on record came out on the same day that President JFK was assissinated, on the 22 november 1963. He partnered up with Tommy Scott and the two had a great success writing songs for the likes of The Dubliners and Van Morrison.

Bill is the only Scottish songwriter to write four UK number one hits, for four different acts – Sandie Shaw’s Eurovision triumph hit ‘Puppet on a String’, Cliff Richards’ ‘Congratulations’, England World Cup Squad song ‘Back Home’ and Silk‘s ‘Forever and Ever’. In the US, they also wrote smash hits: My Boy by Elvis Presley and Thanks by Bill Anderson.

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In 1970, Bill bought John Lennon’s former home and he now lives in Belgravia, London. In 1980, Bill moved further into the music industry, building and selling companies in music publishing and marketing. He produced the musical Jukebox for London’s West End in 1983 and became the youngest ever RAC Golf Club in Epsom.

In 2009, Bill was awarded the Gold Badge Award for services to the music industry by the British Academy of Songwriters, and the Sunday Mail Living Legend Award in 2012.

In June 2014, Bill received the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honour List for Services to Music and Charity in Scotland.

Susan Baird

Former Lord Provost of Glasgow, Susan Baird was known for bringing light and life to the ancient post of Lord Provost of Glasgo, the second female to take the role.

Susan was born May 26, 1940 in Auchenshuggle, in the city’s East End. She went on to represent the area when elected Labour councillor for Braidfauld in 1975, and worked in the position for 33 years.

Civic head from 1988 to 1992, her term included two of the significant events in the regeneration of Glasgow and its image – the Garden Festival of 1988 and the City of Culture in 1990.

Susan was also part of the activity in Glasgow to free Nelson Mandela. She presented Indres Naidoo with a giant key to symbolically open the door to Mandela’s cell at the 1988 Glasgow rally, and hosted the launch of ’The End Of a Regime?’, an anthology of Scottish-South African writing against Apartheid in 1991.

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Susan brought a regal touch to her Lord Provost’s office overlooking George Square, but was never too grand to pour the tea for distinguished visitors.

As for her title, changing the post name to reflect her gender was never an option for her. She pointedly explained that she was to remain “Lord Provost” and that there was no prospect of renaming her title as “lady provost”. Those who addressed her as “lady provost” were magisterially commanded to contribute 50p to a swear box, with the proceeds going to charity at the end of that year.

Susan was appointed CBE in the 1991 New Year Honours, and was the recipient of the 1991 St Mungo Prize, awarded to the individual who had done the most in the previous three years to improve and promote life in the city of Glasgow.

In 2007, Susan was among a number of prominent politicians who decided to quit city politics. In the same year, more than a third of Glasgow’s 70 Labour Councillors also left their positions.

Susan died in 2009, at the age of 68. Never forgetting her roots, Susan said that her proudest achievement was to improve the quality of life for people in Glasgow’s East End.