Christie Hennessy (born Edward Christopher Ross; 19 November 1945 – 11 December 2007) was an Irish
folk
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singer-songwriter. Although Hennessy was unable to read or write due to severe
dyslexia, he still wrote his own songs such as "Roll Back the Clouds" and "All the Lies That You Told Me".
Early life
Hennessy was born in
Tralee
Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Count ...
,
County Kerry,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. His first guitar was made, especially for him, from a tea chest when he was six years old by his friend Jerry Quirke. He left school at the age of eleven and a half.
His first job was as a messenger boy, and it was then that he discovered that it was important to be able to read. He was unable to read or write due to severe
dyslexia,
but still enjoyed his library of books. He later worked on building sites in London.
Career
In 1972 he released his first record, ''The Green Album'', on Westwood, a small label. With scant publicity or promotion, the album made little impact and only 500 copies of the record were pressed.
Hennessy returned to labouring on building sites in the UK and did not release another album for twenty years. When he did, his 1992 release ''The Rehearsal'' outsold U2 in Ireland, eventually attaining triple platinum status. His following albums, ''A Year in the Life'' and ''Box'' also sold extremely well in Ireland.
A renowned songwriter as well as performer, Hennessy wrote several songs that became hits for other singers including ''Don't Forget your Shovel'', made famous by
Christy Moore
Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, ...
, and ''All the Lies that You Told Me'', recorded by
Frances Black
Frances Black (born 25 June 1960) is an Irish people, Irish singer and politician. She came to prominence in the late 1980s when she began to play with her family's band, The Black Family (band), the Black Family, performing a mix of Traditi ...
. He also composed the theme tune and incidental music for the BBC TV series "Get Well Soon" written by Ray Galton (of
Steptoe & Son fame) and composed and wrote a musical/feature film about his native Ireland, ''Two Stops to Paradise''
Hennessy returned to the studio in 2007, one final time to record an album with both
Luka Bloom
Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of folk singer Christy Moore.
Early life
Kevin Barry Moore was born on 23 May 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. His par ...
and Christy Moore sharing vocals on one of the tracks.
[Irish singer Hennessy dies at 62](_blank)
– BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
– 11 December 2007
In 2005, Christy Moore's rendition of Hennessy's "Don't Forget Your Shovel" was referenced in a UK Number One single "The JCB Song" by
Nizlopi
Nizlopi were an English folk and alternative duo formed in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, by Luke Concannon on vocals, guitar, and bodhrán, and John Parker on double bass, human beatbox, and backing vocals.
History Formation
The duo grew u ...
: "And the engine rattles my bum like berserk. While we're singin, 'Don't forget your shovel if you want to go to work!'" It was further referenced in the video for the same song; as the line is sung, the characters in the JCB pass a shop called "Christie's Shovels".
Death
Hennessy died on 11 December 2007 in a London hospice, aged 62. He was reported to have died from
pleural mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer, which has been attributed to his younger years spent working on building sites in London where he was exposed to
asbestos dust. Just before he died he had been touring in Ireland but had to cancel due to the illness.
His ashes were buried in Old Rath Cemetery, Tralee. A commemorative statue of Christie was erected in Central Plaza, just off the town square in Tralee in November 2009.
[http://www.rte.ie/arts/2009/1104/hennessyc.html ]
Discography
Albums
Singles
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennessy, Christie
1945 births
2007 deaths
Deaths from cancer in England
Deaths from mesothelioma
Irish folk singers
Musicians from County Kerry
People from Tralee
20th-century Irish male singers