Real Lives: Alex's passions were his family and his music

Tributes are paid to trombonist Alex Donnelly who has died at the age of 74.

Alex Donnelly had many passions in life – among them his family, his music and an appreciation of nature.

In fact, such was his love of the big bands in which he forged his career that he was distinctly underwhelmed to find himself gracing the same stage as the Beatles back in 1960s Liverpool.

According to wife Edith: "When the Beatles first started, Alex was actually playing in Liverpool. When he played in the Mecca hall they had to finish early one night because this group were coming on, and it was the Beatles – not that Alex thought a lot of them, because they saw off a lot of the big bands," she recalled.

Born in Leith, Mr Donnelly attended Cooper Street School, where he shone, and was awarded a bursary to Leith Academy. He and Edith met while working at Duncan and Orrock bookbinders in Murano Place. They were married at Lochend parish church in July 1955 and flew to the Isle of Man for their honeymoon.

Mr Donnelly began his national service in August 1955, serving with the Royal Scots in Berlin and playing trombone with the military band. He performed at the Edinburgh Tattoo the following year and after three years left the forces to become a professional musician.

He played with many bands, supporting Matt Monro, Johnny Beattie, Hector Nicol and Allan Stewart. His career also took him around the world, performing on the QE2 and in Rio de Janiero. He also played on the BBC series Come Dancing.

Dedicated to his music, he practiced four hours a day. He also had a good singing voice and taught himself to play the bass guitar.

Mr Donnelly was devoted to his family – sons Clarke and Julian, daughter, the late Anne, and grandsons Scott, 18, Craig, 17, and Murray, two.

He was particularly pleased by their educational achievements, being extremely proud when Julian was awarded a first class honours degree in electrical engineering from Heriot-Watt University and when Scott and Craig were accepted into Edinburgh University.

He enjoyed travel, taking the family on regular trips around Scotland and further afield. On one occasion he drove them all the way from Paris to Monte Carlo, stopping at youth hostels all the way.

Although the family moved around the country with Mr Donnelly's work, they eventually settled back in Portland Street in Leith. He and Edith later moved to Dean Village and then to Gorgie Road. Later in life Mr Donnelly worked as an insurance agent, but continued to perform around Edinburgh in the evenings.

He also enjoyed being a member of Bainfield Bowling club, whose members went on to be a great source of support and comfort to Edith following Mr Donnelly's death on September 30, for which she is immensely grateful.

She recalled: "He was loved more than I think he ever knew. He was a quiet man, but he had a good sense of humour. He was a perfectionist in everything he did – he was always immaculate, always wore his tie and polished his shoes well. He used to say to me, 'If I died tomorrow, I've had a great life'."