Darrel Sweet

Darrel "Our Wee Man " Sweet" - Drums - Nazareth

US Fans build memorial for Fife rock star - Dundee Courier, 22 May 2001
Devoted fans of a Scottish rock star who died of a heart attack while touring in the United States have built a memorial in his honour. Darrell Sweet, drummer with the band Nazareth, collapsed and died as he was about to go on stage at an open-air stadium in Indiana in April 1999. US-based fans of the group, which originated in Dunfermline, set up an internet website in Darrell's memory and, after being contacted by his sister in Scotland, decided to erect a plaque at the spot where he died. Last week Darrell's sister Melanie Cameron and his mother Margaret Casey made a poignant trip to the stadium in New Albany where the plaque was unveiled in a moving private ceremony. "It was very emotional but it really helped us a lot, we feel at peace now we have been," said Mrs Cameron. "It is in a beautiful spot overlooking the Ohio River with a lovely view." Mrs Cameron said she had been surfing the internet after Darrell's death and discovered a discussion group about Nazareth with hundreds of on-line messages of sympathy. "I sent a message to everyone in the group thanking them for the messages. One chap said he had passed the spot where Darrell died and he thought it would be nice to remember him in some way." The plaque bears Darrell's name, a carved picture of him and a message reading "Thank you for the music. May your rock always roll." It has been placed outside the performer's dressing room door at the Amphitheater stadium and is intended as a permanent shrine to the 51-year old. Darrell, from Burntisland, was a founder member of Nazareth, which shot to fame in the 1970's. He suffered a heart attack on April 30, 1999, as the band was embarking on the second leg of a US tour. He lived latterly in Kirkcaldy with his wife Marion, son Michael, and daughter Maxine.