Barbour left the band and was replaced by Johnny Cunningham's younger brother, Phil Cunningham (accordion, tin whistle, harmonium, synthesizer, octave mandolin, vocals), then sixteen years old. At the same time Alastair "Ali" Donaldson left and was replaced by Martin Hadden (bass, guitar, piano). This six-member lineup then recorded the band's second LP, Caledonia's Hardy Sons (Highway/Shanachie, 1978). Founding member Bob Thomas left just as the group began work on their third LP, So Many Partings (Highway/Shanachie, 1979). Departure of Johnny Cunningham Johnny Cunningham departed the band for the U.S. in 1980 and was replaced for six months by Dougie MacLean. Dissolution and aftermath They continued recording until the late 1980s, when the band decided to dissolve after performing for seventeen years and releasing nine albums. The band played its final performance in Voorheesville, New York in April 1988. Johnny Cunningham died on 15 December 2003 in New York. Andy M. Stewart died in hospital in Melrose, Roxburghshire, Scotland on 27 December 2015 as a result of medical difficulties that arose after failed spinal surgery in 2012. Artistry Musical style Silly Wizard played a variety of Scottish folk music, both instrumental and vocal, from fast jigs and reels to slow airs. While the majority of the items they played were traditional songs or tunes, the band did write many compositions of their own. Phil Cunningham generally wrote instrumental music centered on the accordion, and Stewart wrote several songs in a style often distinctly traditional. Once Stewart's singing and the driving, impassioned instrumentals of the Cunningham brothers had established themselves at its centre, the group's overall sound changed little. Honours In Scots Trad Music Awards, 2003 Silly Wizard were nominated for the best folk band award. Members of Silly Wizard played at Celtic Connections in February 2007. In December 2012, Silly Wizard was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Discography 1976 Silly Wizard 1978 Caledonia's Hardy Sons 1979 So Many Partings 1980 "Take the High Road" (single) 1981 Wild and Beautiful 1983 Kiss the Tears Away 1985 Live in America 1985 Golden Golden 1985 The Best of Silly Wizard 1986 A Glint of Silver 1988 Live Wizardry - Best of Silly Wizard in Concert 2012 Live Again (Recorded 1983) 2016 The Early Years (studio album) References External links Silly Wizard official website Silly Wizard's former official history pages The Rambling Rovers Andy M Stewart's Home Page Johnny Cunningham's Home