Maura O'Connell
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Maura O'Connell
Maura O'Connell (born 16 September 1958) is an Irish singer and actress. She is known for her contemporary interpretations of Irish folk songs, strongly influenced by American country music. Background O'Connell was born in Ennis, the main town in County Clare, in the west of Ireland. Born into a musical family, O'Connell was the third of four sisters. Her mother's family owned Costello's fish shop in Ennis where O'Connell worked until music became her full-time career. She grew up listening to her mother's light opera, opera, and parlor song records. Her father's interest leaned towards the rebel ballads. Despite the presence of classical music in the house, O'Connell got very involved in the local folk club scene and together with Mike Hanrahan, who later fronted trad/rock outfit Stockton's Wing, they performed a country music set, as a duo called 'Tumbleweed'. O'Connell attended St Joseph's Secondary School in Spanish Point from 1971 to 1974, where she took part in the ...
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Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,276, making it the 6th largest town, and 12th largest urban settlement, as of 2016. Dating from the 12th century the town's Irish name is short for ' ("island of the long rowing meadow") deriving from its location between two courses of the River Fergus. Ennis has had considerable success in the Irish Tidy Towns competition. In 2005 and 2021, the town was named Ireland's tidiest town, and was named Ireland's tidiest large urban centre on multiple occasions. History The name Ennis derives from the Irish word "Inis", meaning "island". This name relates to an island called ' ("Calf Island") or ' ("island of the long rowing meadow") formed between two courses of the River Fergus. The history of Ennis is closely linked with the O'Brien dyn ...
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Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the music industry worldwide. It was originally called the Gramophone Awards, as the trophy depicts a gilded gramophone. The Grammys are the first of the Big Three networks' major music awards held annually, and is considered one of the four major annual American entertainment awards, alongside the Academy Awards (for films), the Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for theater). The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, to honor the musical accomplishments of performers for the year 1958. After the 2011 ceremony, the Recording Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. History The Grammys had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. ...
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Patty Griffin
Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patrici She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs have been covered by numerous musicians, including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, Kelly Clarkson, Rory Block, Dave Hause, Sugarland, Bette Midler and The Chicks. In 2007, Griffin received the Artist of the Year award from the Americana Music Association, and her album ''Children Running Through'' won the award for Best Album. In 2011, Griffin's album ''Downtown Church'' won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Gospel Album and her 2019 self-titled album won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. Biography Griffin is from Old Town, Maine, United States, next to the Penobscot Native American reservation. The youngest child in her family, with six older siblings, she bought a guitar for $50 at age 16. She sang and played but had no inclination ...
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Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of the " 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibsons "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". He was also named number five in ''Time'' magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009. After playing in a number of different local bands, Clapton joined the Yardbirds in 1963, replacing founding guitarist Top Topham. Dissatisfied with the change of the Yardbirds sound from blues rock to a more radio-friendly pop rock sound, Clapton left in 1965 to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. On leaving Mayall in 1966, after one album, he formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop". After Cream br ...
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John Prine
John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He was known for an often humorous style of original music that has elements of protest and social commentary. Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Prine learned to play the guitar at age 14. He attended classes at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. After serving in West Germany with the U.S. Army, he returned to Chicago in the late 1960s, where he worked as a mailman, writing and singing songs first as a hobby and then as a club performer. A member of Chicago's folk revival, a laudatory review by critic Roger Ebert built Prine's popularity. Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson heard Prine at Steve Goodman's insistence, and Kristofferson invited Prine to be his opening act, leading to Prine's eponymous debut album with Atlantic Rec ...
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Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments such as guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for several Irish showbands, covering the popular hits of that time. Known as "Van the Man" to his fans, Morrison rose to prominence in the mid 1960s as the lead singer of the Northern Irish R&B and rock band Them. With Them, he recorded the garage band classic " Gloria". Under the pop-oriented guidance of Bert Berns, Morrison's solo career began in 1967 with the release of the hit single "Brown Eyed Girl". After Berns's death, Warner Bros. Records bought out Morrison's contract and allowed him three sessions to record ''Astral Weeks'' (1968). While initially a poor seller, the album has become regarded as a classic. ''Moondance'' (1970) e ...
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Kim Richey
Kimberly Richey (born December 1, 1956) is an American singer and songwriter. Career Kim Richey came onto the music scene in the 1990s and entered her first recording contract at the age of 37. Kim signed with Mercury Nashville. She spent the next few years promoting her albums and touring with the likes of Wynonna Judd. Compositions Her songs have been recorded by Trisha Yearwood ("Believe Me Baby (I Lied)"), Radney Foster (" Nobody Wins"), and Brooks & Dunn (" Every River"). Recordings Her May 1995 self-titled debut album was produced by Richard Bennett. It contained the singles "Just My Luck" and "Those Words We Said." Her follow-up album, '' Bitter Sweet'', was produced by Angelo and released in 1997. It contained the single "I Know". ''Glimmer'' was released in 1999. Produced by Hugh Padgham (XTC), the album also features guitarist Dominic Miller ( Sting). ''Rise'' was released in 2002 and was produced by Bill Bottrell. Her 2007 album ''Chinese Boxes'' was recorded in ...
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Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Gayle Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums: '' Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and '' Happy Woman Blues'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that received critical praise but little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, ''Lucinda Williams'', to widespread critical acclaim. Widely regarded as "an Americana classic", the album also features "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her 1992 album ''Come On Come On'', which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Williams' fourth album; '' Sweet Old World'', appeared four years later in 1992. ''Sweet Old World'' was met with further critical acclaim, and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in ''The Village Voice''s Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of prominent music critics. Robert Christgau, the poll's creator, ranke ...
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Steve Earle
Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music genre, Earle branched out into multiple genres of rock music, bluegrass, folk music and blues. His breakthrough album was the 1986 debut album '' Guitar Town''; the eponymous lead single peaked at number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country chart. Since then Earle has released 20 more studio albums and received three Grammy awards each for Best Contemporary Folk Album; he has four additional nominations in the same category. "Copperhead Road" was released in 1988 and is his best selling single; it peaked on its initial release at number 10 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and had a 21st century resurgence reaching number 15 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, buoyed by vigorous online sales. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, ...
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Ray Kennedy (country Singer)
Ray Kennedy (born May 13, 1954)Whitburn, Joel (1996). ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits'', p.173. . is an American country music artist. He has recorded two albums for Atlantic Records. His two albums produced four singles that appeared on the Hot Country Songs charts; 1990's " What a Way to Go" was his only top 40 country hit and peaked at No.10. Born in Buffalo, New York, Kennedy won a Grammy Award in 2005 in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category for producing Steve Earle's album '' The Revolution Starts Now''. He has produced many recordings with Earle which are collectively known as The Twangtrust. Ray's father is Ray Kennedy, Sr. Ray Kennedy Sr. was a credit manager for Sears; he had the idea to create the Discover Card which was launched in 1985. Ray Kennedy Jr. is married to Siobhan Maher Kennedy. Discography Albums Singles Music videos As a producer *'' Dream Number 29'' by Cindy Bullens (2005) References External links *AllMusic Biography ...
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Nanci Griffith
Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'' starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for the album ''Other Voices, Other Rooms (Nanci Griffith album), Other Voices, Other Rooms.'' Griffith toured with various other artists, including Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets; John Prine; Iris DeMent; Suzy Bogguss; Judy Collins and The Everly Brothers. Griffith recorded duets with many artists, among them Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, John Prine, Don McLean, Jimmy Buffett, Dolores Keane, Willie Nelson, Adam Duritz (singer of Counting Crows), the Chieftains, John Stewart (musician), John Stewart; and Darius Rucker (lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish). Griffith had a backing band which she referred to as the Blue Moon Orchestra. Early life and career Nanci Griffith, the youngest of three siblings, was born in Seguin, Texas, but raised ...
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A Woman's Heart (compilation Album)
''A Woman's Heart'' is a compilation of twelve tracks performed by six female Irish artists, namely Eleanor McEvoy, Mary Black, Dolores Keane, Sharon Shannon, Frances Black and Maura O'Connell. The album was released in July 1992 and sold over 750,000 copies, more than any other album in Irish chart history and nearly one million copies worldwide. The 20th anniversary of its release was celebrated with four sold-out performances at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Eleanor McEvoy, Mary Coughlan, Sharon Shannon, Dolores Keane, Wallis Bird and Hermione Hennessy were on the bill. In April 2012, Kiera Murphy produced a documentary entitled ''Our Woman's Hearts'' which explores how ''A Woman's Heart'' came about, why it became so popular, and the effect it has had on three generations of some Irish women. The documentary was a part of RTÉ Radio 1's series Documentary on One. The RTÉ Concert Orchestra performed an orchestrated version of the album with McEvoy, O'Connell an ...
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