Our History:
The Fairbanks Red Hackle Pipe Band was founded in April 1974 by Robert G. “Bob” White, who served as the band’s first Pipe Major. Founding members included Eric Rice, Paige McLaughlin, Art Robson, Ian White, and Paula Johnson. Warren G. Fraser II, who would become the band’s longest-serving Pipe Major, joined the band the following year.
From its inception, the Fairbanks Red Hackles embraced a mission rooted in inclusion—welcoming female pipers, supporting families, developing musical talent, performing a wide variety of bagpipe music, and competing. This inclusive and community-centered philosophy helped shape the band’s identity and longevity.
The Red Hackles intentionally departed from the era's traditional, highly militaristic pipe band uniform. Instead of horsehair sporrans, piper’s plaids, spats, and feather bonnets, members wore their own family tartans, white shirts with red ties, cream hose with red flashes, matching sporrans, and powder-blue Balmoral bonnets adorned with distinctive red hackle plumes. The Balmoral with a red hackle was adopted in honor of the original Red Hackle Pipes & Drums, a world-championship band from Glasgow formed in the late 1940s by former members of the Black Watch.
In June 1974, the young band competed for the first time at the Alaska Scottish Highland Games in Palmer with three pipers—Bob White, Eric Rice, and Paige McLaughlin—and one drummer, Ian White. That year, the Fairbanks Red Hackles became Alaska State Champions and held the title uninterrupted through 1977.
While the band achieved early competitive success in the Anchorage and Mat-Su regions, its primary focus remained the Fairbanks community and Interior Alaska. To meet the demands of frequent performances and continue improving musical standards, members attended the North Idaho College Piping School in Coeur d’Alene. They participated in workshops in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle. To ensure access for all members, the band began hosting instructors from Vancouver for workshops in Fairbanks—a tradition that continues today.
This long-standing commitment to education fostered a close relationship with the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, a connection initiated and nurtured under Warren G. Fraser II's leadership as Pipe Major from 1999 to 2025. Today, the Fairbanks Red Hackle Pipe Band remains a strong competitive ensemble with an active performance schedule throughout Interior Alaska, proudly carrying forward its rich musical heritage and community-focused mission.