Mike Gilbert pipes at Saddam Hussein’s palace in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. Gilbert was a U.S. Air Force chaplain and also played bagpipes at military funerals, celebrations and other occasions during his career. (Courtesy of Mike Gilbert)
September 2, 2019
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September 2, 2019 4 a.m.
Musician has played worldwide, even in war zone
The pedestrians could hear Mike Gilbert long before they saw him. Slowly, but surely a small gaggle emerged from nearby shops and sidewalks, collecting outside the gazebo at Depot Park in Whitefish. Beneath it, in full Scottish regalia, Gilbert rewarded their curiosity with an impromptu performance, delighting the audience with the hauntingly beautiful cry of bagpipes.