__NOTOC__
Austin (Gussie) Russell (1917, Doonagore,
Doolin – 18 May 2004, Ennistymon Hospital) was a
stonecutter
Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...
and a well known Irish traditional flute and whistle player out of
Doolin,
County Clare,
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 ...
. He was one of the three Russell brothers to earn fame as a musician, together with his brothers
Micho and
Packie.
Gussie learned to play music at a very young age, learning most of his skills from his neighbour Patrick Flanagan, a
concertina player. He and Micho got their first
concert flutes from their uncle John Moloney in 1932, when he returned from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
[Russell Brothers: Micho, Pakie and Gussie](_blank)
/ref>
Gussie and his brothers first got attention outside Doolin due to the work of the Irish Folklore Commission
The Irish Folklore Commission (''Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann'' in Irish) was set up in 1935 by the Irish Government to study and collect information on the folklore and traditions of Ireland.
History
Séamus Ó Duilearga (James Hamilton Dela ...
. In the late 1930s Seamus O'Duillearga
Seamus may refer to:
* Séamus, a male first name of Gaelic origin
Film and television
* Seamus (''Family Guy''), a character on the television series ''Family Guy''
* Seamus, a pigeon in '' Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore''
* Seamus Mc ...
was active in County Clare and recorded stories and music, including music of the Russell brothers. Later recordings by others also brought them a wider public.
Personal
He was born as one of five children of Austin Russell and Annie Moloney. He had two brothers and two sisters.
Recordings
With brothers
* ''The Russell Family of Doolin, Co. Clare''; Micho, Packie and Gussie Russell. Recorded by John Tams and Neil Wayne in O'Connor's Bar, Doolin January 1974. Published in 1975 by Topic Records.
Anthologies
* ''Farewell to Lissycasey: The Traditional Music of County Clare''; 1995
* ''Treasure Of My Heart: Classic'', 1998Treasure Of My Heart
/ref>
References
External links
YouTube clip
Playing from left to right: Gussie's brother Packie Russel (concertina), Gussie Russell (concert flute), John Killourhy
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
(fiddle
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
), Rory O´Connor ( whistle), Stevie McNamara Stevie may refer to:
People with the name Given name
*Stevie (given name), a list of people
People with the nickname or alias
*Stevie B, American singer, songwriter and record producer Steven Bernard Hill (born 1958)
*Stevie J, stage name of Ameri ...
(tambourine
The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...
) and Willie 'Bheag' Shannon (fiddle).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Gussie
Irish flautists
Musicians from County Clare
1917 births
2004 deaths
20th-century flautists