FOLK music giant Hamish Imlach died at home early yesterday, shortly after welcoming in the New Year.

Imlach, 55, emerged as a leading light in the Scottish folk revival of the late 1950s and 1960s and remained a major figure on the music scene, although his success did not bring the commercial rewards enjoyed by some of his many friends - who included Billy Connolly, Chris De Burgh, Gerry Rafferty, and John Martyn.

He was a big star in every sense. Weighing about 20 stone, he was frequently and affectionately described as ``an all-round folk singer''. The range of his talent was as broad as his girth. On stage, his patter was as impressive as his singing and both tended to overshadow a fine but under-rated guitar technique. His repertoire stretched from American blues to Scots traditional.

Imlach lived life to the full and, by his own admission, had a prodigious appetite for drinking and eating. His autobiography, published in 1992, was called Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice, also the name of one of his best-known songs, and was subtitled Reminiscences of a Fat Folk Singer. The book was packed with candid and graphic anecdotes about the many outrageous, usually drunken, episodes over the years of his life on the road.

He had a wonderful sense of humour and could laugh at himself just as well as at the world at large. He defined a folk singer as someone who stays in bed all day, then goes out at night and sings about work.

Despite all his self-deprecation, his contribution to music and musicians was immense.

Brought up in the Hyndland area of Glasgow, Imlach began his career as a folk singer while studying engineering in the city.

He went on to record around 40 albums and tour all over the world, building a loyal following not only in Scotland but in many overseas countries, especially Germany. His fans' favourite songs included Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair, This Sporting Life, and Sonny's Dream.

His greatest legacy is perhaps the huge influence he had on so many other music makers and entertainers in their formative years. The level of admiration he commanded was clearly shown in the mid-1970s when Imlach's years of living in the fast lane led to him becoming seriously ill and Connolly and many other friends organised fundraising events for him.

Among colleagues paying tribute last night was folk musician and broadcaster Archie Fisher, who had known Imlach ever since they were in the same class at school in Hyndland.

He said: ``Although Hamish has sailed close to the wind in his own life and would be the first to admit he did not expect to live to be 95, the place is going to be quieter and a bit emptier now without him.

``In the 1960s, he was a kind of catalyst for people interested in folk music. We would all congregate at his house. From that point on, because of his enthusiasm and humour and endless generosity, he managed always to be at the hub of things. He acted as a hub person and a hub musician.

``One of the saddest things is that he never got to tour in the States. I think he would have loved to have been an American blues player, he would have loved that authenticity. There was a kind of escapism about him, and why not?''

Ewan McVicar, the songwriter and author who helped Imlach write his book, said: ``He was the most vital lifeforce I have ever met. I really don't believe he is dead. If he is, we are all the poorer.

``He was the biggest star on the Scottish scene in the 1960s. He could pack out the venues because he reached out to the general public, he was not just for the `folkie' cognoscenti. He was somebody anybody could enjoy as a great performer.''

Also paying tribute was Mrs Janey Buchan, the former Labour Euro-MP for Glasgow. Like her late husband Norman, who was Labour MP for Paisley South, she has always championed folk music and Imlach was one of the entertainers at a memorial concert following Mr Buchan's death.

Mrs Buchan said: ``Hamish was a very good musician, a deep musician. He was always generous with his talents. There was not a good cause that he would not sing for.''

Imlach, who lived in Motherwell, is survived by his wife, Wilma, from whom he separated several years ago, their four grown-up children, and his partner, Ms Muriel Graves.