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Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from
Strabane Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle mark ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...
. His work straddles folk and
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age. Initially popular for playing Irish traditional music in a duo with Andy Irvine and later with Tommy Peoples and Matt Molloy, he later turned to a more rock-inspired electric style with poignant political lyrics. Some of his most popular songs are: "Crazy Dreams", "Nothing but the Same Old Story", " The Island", "Night Hunting Time", "Steel Claw" and "
Paradise Is Here "Paradise Is Here" is a song written by Paul Brady and first recorded by Tina Turner, for her album ''Break Every Rule''. Brady subsequently released his own version on his 1987 album ''Primitive Dance'', and it has also been covered by Cher for he ...
".


Early life

Paul Joseph Brady was born in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
and raised in the small town of
Strabane Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle mark ...
in
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...
, Northern Ireland, on the border with
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrcon ...
,
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. ...
. His father Seán Brady and mother Mollie Brady née McElholm were school teachers. Brady was educated at Sion Mills Primary School,
St. Columb's College St Columb's College ( ga, Coláiste Naomh Colum Cille) is a Roman Catholic boys' grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland and, since 2008, a specialist school in mathematics. It is named after Saint Columba, the missionary monk from County ...
, Derry and
University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...
. He is prominently featured in the documentary film ''The Boys of St. Columb's''. He began learning piano around age six and by the age of eleven he had begun to play guitar, spending hours of his
school holiday An academic year or school year is a period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study. School holiday School holidays (also referred to as vacations, breaks, and recess) are the periods during which sch ...
s learning every song that
the Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...
had recorded. He was also strongly influenced by
Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
. In 1963, Brady began performing as a piano player in a hotel in Bundoran, Donegal. In October 1964, he attended
University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...
and performed with a string of RnB groups, covering songs by the likes of
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
and
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...
. The first of these was the Inmates (late 1964–about April 1965), which evolved into the Kult (about April–December 1965), featuring Brady, Jackie McAuley (ex-
Them Them or THEM, a third-person plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fiction by Wels ...
, and future Belfast Gypsies and Trader Horne), Brendan Bonass, and Dave Pennefather. Brady can be seen in the documentary film ''Charlie Is My Darling'' waiting outside Dublin's
Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...
for
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
' concert of 3 September 1965. He next joined Rootzgroup (late 1965–May 1966) and Rockhouse (about May–December 1966).


Musical career


1960s and 1970s

During his time at college in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
, the country saw a huge rise in interest in traditional Irish music. Brady joined the popular Irish band
The Johnstons The Johnstons were an Irish close-harmony folk band, founded in Slane, County Meath, Ireland, consisting of siblings Adrienne, Luci and Michael Johnston. Career The Johnstons began performing in the early 1960s in Slane. They signed to Pye R ...
when Michael Johnston left in May 1967. They moved to London, England, in 1969 and subsequently to New York City in 1972 to expand their audience. Despite some success, Brady returned to Ireland in 1974 to join the Irish group
Planxty Planxty were an Irish folk music band formed in January 1972, consisting initially of Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guit ...
, the band that would subsequently launch the solo careers of Andy Irvine, Liam O'Flynn, Dónal Lunny, and
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, ...
. When
Planxty Planxty were an Irish folk music band formed in January 1972, consisting initially of Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guit ...
disbanded in late 1975, Brady formed a duo with Irvine from 1976 to 1978, a partnership that produced the successful album, '' Andy Irvine/Paul Brady''. The next few years saw him establish his popularity and reputation as one of Ireland's best interpreters of traditional songs. His versions of ballads like "
Arthur McBride "Arthur McBride" (also called "The Recruiting Sergeant" or "Arthur McBride and the Sergeant") is a folk song (Roud 2355) probably of Irish origin, also found in England, Scotland, Australia, and North America. Describing a violent altercation wit ...
" and " The Lakes of Pontchartrain" were considered definitive and are still popular at concerts today. In 1975 in New York he recorded three albums for
Shanachie Records Shanachie Records is an American, New Jersey-based record label, founded in 1975 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. The label is named for the Gaelic word '' seanchaí'' (anglicised as shanachie), an Irish storyteller. It was previously distrib ...
as guitar accompanist to resident Irish fiddlers Andy McGann, Paddy Reynolds and John Vesey. He also recorded a 1976 album, ''The High Part of the Road'', for the same label with Irish fiddler Tommy Peoples.Kenny Mathieson. 2001. Celtic music. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 14


Solo career

In 1978, Brady released his first solo album, ''
Welcome Here Kind Stranger ''Welcome Here Kind Stranger'' is a 1978 album by Paul Brady. After leaving The Johnstons, Brady toured with Planxty until they disbanded in 1975, and recorded a duo album with Andy Irvine in 1976. ''Welcome Here Kind Stranger'' ''Welcome Here ...
'', which won him critical acclaim and was awarded the Melody Maker Folk Album of the Year. However, it would prove to be Brady's last album covering traditional material. He decided to delve into pop and rock music, and released his first album of this genre in 1981, ''
Hard Station ''Hard Station'' is a 1981 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his second solo album. Track listing All tracks composed by Paul Brady #"Crazy Dreams" #"The Road to the Promised Land" #"Busted Loose" #"Cold Cold Night" #"Hard Station" #" ...
''. Brady released a number of successful solo albums throughout the 1980s: ''
True for You ''True for You'' is the third studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady, released in 1983 by Polydor Records. Neil Dorfsman and Brady produced the album In 1999, a digitally remastered CD of the album was released by Rykodisc. Critical ...
'' (1983), ''
Back to the Centre ''Back to the Centre'' is a 1985 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his fourth solo album. Eric Clapton was a guest guitarist. Track listing #"Walk The White Line" - 5:05 #"Wheel of Heartbreak" - 5:09 #"Deep In Your Heart" - 6:01 ...
'' (1985), and ''
Primitive Dance ''Primitive Dance'' is a 1987 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his fifth solo album. The song "The Awakening" features the vocals of Irish singer Moya Brennan. Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a Brit ...
'' (1987). By the end of the decade, Brady was recognised and accepted as a respected performer and songwriter. His songs were being covered by a number of other artists, including Santana and
Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always ...
. When
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
heard a demo of his song "
Paradise Is Here "Paradise Is Here" is a song written by Paul Brady and first recorded by Tina Turner, for her album ''Break Every Rule''. Brady subsequently released his own version on his 1987 album ''Primitive Dance'', and it has also been covered by Cher for he ...
", she recorded it for her ''
Break Every Rule ''Break Every Rule'' is the sixth solo studio album by Tina Turner. It was released on September 5, 1986, through Capitol Records in the US. It was the follow-up to Turner's globally successful comeback album, ''Private Dancer'', released two ye ...
'' album of 1986. By now, he was a favourite songwriter among such artists as
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
, who would do a duet with Brady on his 1991 album, ''
Trick or Treat Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". The ...
''. A couple of Brady songs soon appeared on Raitt's album '' Luck of the Draw'', including the title track. Dylan was sufficiently impressed by Brady's work to name-check him in the booklet of his 1985 box set, '' Biograph''. The actual quote was "(...) people get too famous too fast these days and it destroys them. Some guys got it down-Leonard Cohen, Paul Brady, Lou Reed, secret heroes, John Prine, David Allen Coe, Tom Waits. I listen more to that kind of stuff than whatever is popular at the moment. They're not just witchdoctoring up the planet, they don't set up barriers (...)". Since his ''
Hard Station ''Hard Station'' is a 1981 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his second solo album. Track listing All tracks composed by Paul Brady #"Crazy Dreams" #"The Road to the Promised Land" #"Busted Loose" #"Cold Cold Night" #"Hard Station" #" ...
'' album (1981), Brady was on various major labels until he created his own label, PeeBee Music, in the late 1990s. He released three albums in the 1990s: ''
Trick or Treat Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". The ...
'', '' Songs & Crazy Dreams'' (a remixed compilation of earlier songs) and '' Spirits Colliding'', which were met with critical acclaim. ''Trick or Treat'' was on
Fontana Fontana may refer to: Places Italy *Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone *Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone *Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino *Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi * ...
/
Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it ...
and received a lot of promotion. As a result, some critics considered it his debut album and noted that the record benefited from the expertise of experienced studio musicians, as well as producer Gary Katz, who worked with the rock group
Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from liv ...
.
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
, after praising Brady's earlier but less-known solo records, called ''Trick or Treat'' Brady's "most compelling collection." Brady has gone on to record several other albums (15 in total since he went solo in 1978) and collaborated with a number of other established musicians including
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
and Richard Thompson (a complete list of his many collaborations is given at his website). In 2006, he collaborated with
Cara Dillon Cara Elizabeth Dillon (born 21 July 1975, in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish folk singer. In 1995, she joined the folk supergroup Equation and signed a record deal with Warners Music Group. After leaving t ...
on the track "The Streets of Derry" from her album '' After the Morning''. He has also worked with Fiachra Trench. He performed
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
songs as a character in the 2002
Matthew Barney Matthew Barney (born March 25, 1967) is an American contemporary artist and film director who works in the fields of sculpture, film, photography and drawing. His works explore connections among geography, biology, geology and mythology as well ...
film '' Cremaster 3''. He also played tin whistle on the single "One" by Greg Pearle in 2008, from the album '' Beautiful You'', a collaboration between Greg Pearle and John Illsley; this song featured in the 2008 film ''Anton'', directed by Graham Cantwell. Brady's fifteenth studio album, ''Hooba Dooba'', was released in March 2010 and was widely acclaimed as one of his finest. As of 2017, a friendship was struck with Theo Katzman (vulfpeck) and Brady toured Ireland in 2019 as half of this unlikely duo with Joe Dart, also of vulfpeck,
Louis Cato Louis Cato is the bandleader for The Late Show Band, the house band for ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert''. Cato is a multi-instrumentalist who plays bass, guitar, percussion, low brass, and others, in addition to vocals. He is also a song ...
and Lee Pardini. Brady continues to tour, record and collaborate in a variety of creative projects around the globe. In 2019 Jimmy Buffett began performing a cover of Brady's hit, The World is What you Make It. In September 2019 Brady joined Jimmy Buffett on his tour stops in both Dublin and London. He released the album ‘Unfinished Business’on his own label PeeBee Music licensed to Proper Music UK IN 2017 Brady and Andy Irvine planned to tour their 1976 album ''Andy Irvine, Paul Brady'' in 2017 but many of the dates were rescheduled due to the Covid pandemic. In 2022 they managed to finish the tour, taking in dates in Castlebar; Belfast; Dublin and Perth, Scotland. Also joining them on the tour were the legendary fiddle player Kevin Burke and Donal Lunny, who both played on the original album.


Awards

In 2009, Brady received an honorary degree of
Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Docto ...
from the
University of Ulster sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...
, in recognition of his services to traditional Irish music and songwriting.


Discography


Solo studio albums

* ''
Welcome Here Kind Stranger ''Welcome Here Kind Stranger'' is a 1978 album by Paul Brady. After leaving The Johnstons, Brady toured with Planxty until they disbanded in 1975, and recorded a duo album with Andy Irvine in 1976. ''Welcome Here Kind Stranger'' ''Welcome Here ...
'' (1978) * ''
Hard Station ''Hard Station'' is a 1981 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his second solo album. Track listing All tracks composed by Paul Brady #"Crazy Dreams" #"The Road to the Promised Land" #"Busted Loose" #"Cold Cold Night" #"Hard Station" #" ...
'' (1981) * ''
True for You ''True for You'' is the third studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady, released in 1983 by Polydor Records. Neil Dorfsman and Brady produced the album In 1999, a digitally remastered CD of the album was released by Rykodisc. Critical ...
'' (1983) * ''
Back to the Centre ''Back to the Centre'' is a 1985 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his fourth solo album. Eric Clapton was a guest guitarist. Track listing #"Walk The White Line" - 5:05 #"Wheel of Heartbreak" - 5:09 #"Deep In Your Heart" - 6:01 ...
'' (1985) * ''
Primitive Dance ''Primitive Dance'' is a 1987 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his fifth solo album. The song "The Awakening" features the vocals of Irish singer Moya Brennan. Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a Brit ...
'' (1987) * ''
Trick or Treat Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". The ...
'' (1991) * '' Spirits Colliding'' (1995) * '' Oh What a World'' (2000) * '' Say What You Feel'' (2005) * ''Hooba Dooba'' (2010) * ''Unfinished Business'' (2017) * ''Maybe So'' (2022)


Solo live albums

* ''
Full Moon The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This mea ...
'' (1984) * ''The Paul Brady Songbook'' (album and DVD) Live recordings for RTÉ TV series (2002) * '' The Missing Liberty Tapes'' (2002) - Recorded Live at Liberty Hall, Dublin, 21 July 1978


Solo compilation albums

* '' Songs & Crazy Dreams'' (1992) * '' Nobody Knows: The Best of Paul Brady'' (1999) * ''Dancer in the Fire: A Paul Brady Anthology'' (2012)


With Andy Irvine

*'' Andy Irvine/Paul Brady'' (1976) *''
Andy Irvine/70th Birthday Concert at Vicar St 2012 ''Andy Irvine/70th Birthday Concert at Vicar St 2012''
Retrieved on 1 March 2015
is a live recordi ...
'' (2014)


With Tommy Peoples

*''The High Part of the Road'' (1975)


With Matt Molloy and Tommy Peoples

*''Molloy, Brady, Peoples'' (1977)


With Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds

*''Fiddle Duet'' (1976)


With Andy McGann

* ''It's a Hard Road to Travel'' (1977)


With John Vesey

*''The First Month of Spring'' (1977)


With John Kavanagh and Sean O'Casey

*''The Green Crow Caws'' (1980)


With various artists

*''The Gathering'' (1981) Paul Brady, Peter Browne, Andy Irvine, Dónal Lunny, Matt Molloy,
Tommy Potts Tommy Potts (1912–1988) was an Irish fiddle player and composer from Dublin who gained iconic status in traditional Irish music circles for his virtuoso musicianship. Potts' given name is also frequently spelled Tommie. His music has influenc ...
,
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish traditional singer, keyboard player, and composer, considered one of the most influential female vocalists in the history of Irish music. She is famed for her work with traditional Irish groups such as Skara ...
(Brady plays on three tracks) *''Feed The Folk'' (1985), Temple Records FTP01, ("The Green Fields Of Canada") *'' The Rough Guide to Irish Music'' (1996)


DVDs

* ''The Transatlantic Sessions Series 3'' (2007) (various artists) * ''The Paul Brady Songbook'' (2002) * ''Paul Brady Live at Rockpalast 1983'' (Repertoire Records 2016)


References


External links


Paul Brady homepage
* *
Immortal Jukebox article on Paul Brady
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brady, Paul 1947 births Folk singers from Northern Ireland Singer-songwriters from Northern Ireland Mandolinists from Northern Ireland Bouzouki players from Northern Ireland Guitarists from Northern Ireland Irish male guitarists Living people Male singers from Northern Ireland People from Strabane People educated at St Columb's College Planxty members Musicians from County Tyrone Mercury Records artists Shanachie Records artists Fontana Records artists Rykodisc artists Proper Records artists Claddagh Records artists Green Linnet Records artists