Kenneth McKellar, who took Scots songs to world, dies aged 82

• Tenor Kenneth McKellar made his first recording for posterity when facing a tonsillectomy, and went on to international fame

McKellar passed away at the home of his daughter, Jane, in Lake Tahoe in the United States.

The 82-year-old singer was known for his recordings of Scots songs, particularly those of Robert Burns, and appeared in musicals, on television and on radio.

His family said he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer only last week.

His daughter Jane McKellar, 46, said: "It was very, very sudden and very fast, so it came as quite a shock to all of us.

"But he kept very, very spirited and funny and warm right through to the end, so that was a blessing.

"I hope people will remember him for his wonderful singing and for the breadth of the music he made. He also had a great sense of humour.

"He was a very private person, for someone who spent so much time in the public eye. When he was off-stage he was an intensely private person."

McKellar was born in Paisley in 1927 and graduated from Aberdeen University with a BSc in forestry before studying at the Royal College of Music in London.

He once claimed that his recording career was as a result of an impending tonsillectomy, saying: "At college I was about to have my tonsils out and a friend of mine said in case the surgeon's scalpel slips I ought to cut a recording, so I went along to HMV in London and did just that.

"The engineer sent it to Parlophone. It was a surprise to me that he had. Parlophone asked me to come up and talk about making a record for them. On the strength of that they thought I should be working commercially for them."

He went to have a long association with record company Decca and in the early Sixties was the tenor soloist in Decca's recording of Handel's Messiah.

He appeared in musicals and also had regular BBC TV series and radio broadcasts, which attracted a huge following.

As well as his daughter Jane, McKellar leaves his son Kenneth, brother James and five granddaughters.

His wife Hedy died in 1990.

During his career he toured the world and had fans as far afield as Australia and Canada.

A family spokesman said: "His singing seemed effortless and concealed the huge talent which made it so.

"Those who knew him best remember a man of great humour, a man who could not bear pretentiousness and who, although not one to suffer fools gladly, was totally without conceit.

"It is unlikely that there will ever be another Kenneth McKellar."

First Minister Alex Salmond yesterday paid tribute to the singer, saying: "I had the pleasure of serving with Kenneth McKellar on the Scottish International Education Trust, and as well as being an outstanding entertainer with a magnificent voice, he also had a deep commitment to helping the careers of young performers."

Sir Sean Connery said: "Kenneth McKellar had a wonderful voice, but above all he was an outstanding human being, with a sparkling sense of humour.

"Kenneth was one of the earliest trustees of the Scottish International Education Trust, and I knew him for 40 years. He worked tirelessly in the interests of young artistic talent in Scotland, using his huge international profile to encourage young Scots to excel.

"Kenneth's death is an enormous loss to the nation.