A WELL-KNOWN musician and music teacher from Cardenden is set to be honoured with a memorial headstone. 

Joe Burke passed away in 1980 at just 43 years old, throughout his life he had a massive impact on the lives of his students and his community. 

To commemorate everything he did for the village and surrounding areas, four of his former pupils who credit his lessons to their success, are holding a memorial event to raise funds for the headstone. 

Gordon, Michael, Nicola and James have organised the event. (Image: Supplied) Nicola Braid, who has helped to organise the concert and ceilidh, told the Times: " [We], Michael Philip, James Coutts, Nicola Braid and Gordon Haddow, have all gone on to have successful music careers and none of this would have been possible without Joe.

"We have all recently reunited to organise a series of musical events, culminating in a memorial concert and ceilidh on Remembrance Sunday, November 10 in Bowhill Community Centre in order to raise enough funds to erect a memorial gravestone for Joe to have a fitting and permanent tribute as a much loved and respected local man, friend and teacher, who contributed so much to his local community. 

"Joe was a huge supporter of his local town and surrounding areas, and regularly took part in many charity fundraisers, both as a soloist in his younger years and as a teacher with his pupils and bands."

(Image: Supplied) The memorial concert will feature former pupils including Michael Philip Scottish Dance Band, James Coutts Scottish Dance Band, Nicola Braid and Gordon Haddow, Gary Blair and the Kirkcaldy and District Pipe Band, with the evening to be compered by John Caskie.

Nicola continued: "All proceeds and donations will go towards providing a memorial headstone for Joe in Bowhill Cemetery to mark his musical legacy.

"We've been fortunate to receive some funding from Cardenden Can to help us with this, but we still need to raise enough funds to complete the project."

Through social media, they've learned that Mr Burke played for John Wayne himself! (Image: Supplied) She is asking anyone with stories of Joe to get in touch, they've already learned so much about their beloved teacher through the power of social media!

She added: "We've been advertising on Social Media and we've been so fortunate to hear from local people who have fond memories of Joe, and we even discovered that Joe flew to America to play for John Wayne at his ranch!

"We'd love to hear from anyone else who could share memories of Joe, and we would love it if anyone would buy tickets for our main event on Remembrance Sunday.

Admittance is £10 and tickets are available from any of the bands taking part.