Ron Kavana (born 25 December 1950) is an Irish singer, songwriter, guitarist and band leader. Born in the

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

town of

Fermoy Fermoy () is a town on the River Blackwater in east County Cork, Ireland. As of the 2016 census, the town and environs had a population of approximately 6,500 people. It is located in the barony of Condons and Clangibbon, and is in the Dá ...

, he is the son of an Irish father and an American mother from Chicago with

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

roots. Performing with a lengthy list of bands, Kavana has performed with influential musicians from the worlds of Celtic music,

British soul British soul, Brit soul, or (in a US context) the British soul invasion, is soul music performed by British artists. Soul has been a major influence on British popular music since the 1960s, and American soul was extremely popular among some yo ...

, blues, rhythm & blues, rock,

Irish folk Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...

and folk-rock, and

worldbeat Worldbeat is a music genre that blends pop music or rock music with world music or traditional music. Worldbeat is similar to other cross-pollination labels of contemporary and roots genres, and which suggest a rhythmic, harmonic or textural c ...

music. His ''Galway to Graceland'' album was described as an album of blues, Tex Mex, country, rock, cajun, and occasionally Irish influenced music. A talented songwriter, Kavana has written songs exploring history and politics, as well as drinking, dancing, and playing music. ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...

'' has called him a "hard-hitting, no-nonsense realist".

Biography

Early career

After cutting his early musical teeth in a R&B band, the Wizards, Kavana moved to London in the late 1970s. He got a job at Rock on Records, replacing

Philip Chevron Philip Ryan (17 June 1957 – 8 October 2013), professionally known as Philip Chevron, was an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist and record producer. He was best known as the lead guitarist for the celtic punk band The Pogues and as the fron ...

, who was leaving to work full-time with his band, The Radiators From Space. In 1977, Kavana put together Kavana's Krisis Band, playing regularly at Islington's

Hope & Anchor Hope and Anchor is a pub on Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington which first opened its doors in 1880. During the mid-1970s it was one of the first pubs to embrace the emergent, but brief, phenomenon of pub rock. With the decline of ...

. This band evolved into Juice on the Loose, who became something of a house band for Ace Records, with Kavana as band leader and producer. During this era, Kavana and members of the band toured and recorded with many American acts, including Big Jay McNeely,

Clarence "Frogman" Henry Clarence Henry II (born March 19, 1937), known as Clarence "Frogman" Henry, is an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, best known for his hits " Ain't Got No Home" (1956) and " (I Don't Know Why) But I Do" (1961). Career Clarence Henry ...

, Willie Egan,

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

Doug Sahm Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in San Antonio, Texas. Sahm is regarded as one of the main figures of Tex-Mex music, and as an important per ...

, Augie Meyers and Flaco Jiminez,

Wallace Davenport Wallace Foster Davenport (30 June 1925 – 18 March 2004) was an American jazz trumpeter. Davenport has been one of the few traditional jazz musicians of the 1930s who later branched out into Swing (genre), swing and bebop, bop styles, as well ...

, Gatemouth Brown,

Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

Champion Jack Dupree William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer. Biography Dupree was a New Orleans ...

, and Slim Gaillard.All Music Guide entry; also Ron Kavana, interview printed in liner notes of Kavana's 1999 live album ''Alien Alert'', published by Proper Records. Kavana appears on Juice on the Loose's self-titled album, released on Line Records in 1981. Other Juice on the Loose recordings would surface on Kavana's first solo album, '' Rollin' & Coastin'''. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Kavana also played with Panama Red, The Thunderbirds,

The Balham Alligators The Balham Alligators were an English band from London that mixed rock 'n' roll, Cajun music, cajun, Country music, country and R&B. The band centred on singer and instrumentalist Geraint Watkins. Career The band came together by chance at ...

, and The Alexis Korner Band. Following a European

R & B Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

package tour backing Korner, Kavana played an anniversary show for the Boogie Woogie Band's anniversary at

Dingwalls Dingwalls was a live music and comedy venue adjacent to Camden Lock, Camden, London, England. The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, ...

, with an all-star band that included Charlie Watts on drums and

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

on bass.

Solo career

Kavana released his first solo album, '' Rollin' & Coastin''' in 1985, on the Italian record label, Appaloosa. The album was a compilation of solo tracks and Juice on The Loose recordings. In the mid/late 1980s, Kavana opened several tours for

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...

, including a December/January 1985/1986 jaunt through Ireland, where he performed as a duo with Elvis Costello.''Pogue Mahone Kiss My Arse: The Story of the Pogues'', by Carol Clerk, published 2009 Pogues management considered Kavana as a replacement for departing bass player/singer

Cait O'Riordan Caitlín O'Riordan (born 4 January 1965) is a British musician of Irish and Scottish descent. She played bass guitar for the Irish punk/folk band the Pogues from 1983 to 1986. She later played with Elvis Costello (her husband from 1986 to 200 ...

. The band chose road crew member

Darryl Hunt Darryl Hunt (February 24, 1965 – March 13, 2016) was an African-American man from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who, in 1984, was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and the murder of Deborah Sykes, a young whi ...

for the job, but Kavana made several appearances on The Pogues' album ''

If I Should Fall From Grace With God ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' is the third studio album by Irish folk-punk band the Pogues, released on 18 January 1988. Released in the wake of their biggest hit single, "Fairytale of New York", ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God ...

'', and co-wrote two songs with Pogue

Terry Woods Terence Woods (born 4 December 1947 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish folk musician, songwriter/singer and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his membership in such folk and folk- rock groups as The Pogues, Steeleye Span, Sweeney's Men, ...

: "Every Man Is A King (In The U.S. of A.)" and "Young Ned of the Hill", the former released originally as a B-side and the latter included on The Pogues album, '' Peace and Love''. In 1990, Kavana produced the album ''

For The Children ''For the Children'' is a British television programme targeted at children of school age. First broadcast on the BBC Television Service in 1937 at 3pm as the opening programme for afternoon viewing (as television would generally be broadcast ...

''. Featuring 29 guests (including several members of

), the album was a fundraiser for LILT (London Irish Live Trust), a charity organisation working for peace in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. By the late 1980s, Kavana had formed the eclectic group Alias Ron Kavana. The group was subsequently named "Best Live Act in the World" by ''

Folk Roots ''fRoots'' (pronounced "eff-Roots", originally ''Folk Roots'') was a specialist music magazine published in the UK between 1979 and 2019. It specialised in folk and world music, and featured regular compilation downloadable albums, with occa ...

'' magazine in 1989, 1990, and 1991. The Alias Band's first album, '' Think Like a Hero'', was released in 1989. Alias Ron Kavana's second album, '' Coming Days'', followed in 1991.

joined forces with Ron Kavana and recorded the album '' Home Fire'', released as Kavana's second solo effort in 1991. The two appear together in the 1990

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...

film, ''Hidden Agenda'', performing the

Wolfe Tones The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning ...

' song "The Ballad Of Joe McDonnell". After quitting The Pogues, Woods joined with Kavana and formed a new band, The Bucks. This line-up recorded the album '' Dancing to the ceili band'', released in 1994 on WEA. The album and the band's live shows were well received by fans and critics, but the group disbanded after a short time. Kavana cites lack of label support as a reason, and claims he "never got a penny" for the album.Ron Kavana, interview printed in liner notes of Kavana's 1999 live album ''Alien Alert'', published by Proper Records. Returning to the Alias Band, Kavana recorded ''Galway to Graceland'' (ARK 002) in 1995. The album was self-financed and produced independently. Due to financial difficulties it was deleted before getting a full release. Kavana again entered Pogues territory, this time playing guitar in an early version of

Shane MacGowan Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He was also a member of the Nipple Erectors and Shane MacGow ...

's band The Popes. Kavana's guitar work can be heard on "Haunted", a duet featuring Sinéad O'Connor. He also came up with the tune for "Snake With Eyes of Garnet" from MacGowan's first solo album, '' The Snake'', although he received no credit for this work.

Academics and current career

In 1995, frustrated by problems with record labels and the music business generally, and finding himself financially under pressure, Kavana took a three-year break from the industry, enrolling in a full-time

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

course, graduating with first-class honours in Irish studies and film studies. Working on and off for several years, Kavana released a two-disc set ''Irish Songs of Rebellion, Resistance and Reconciliation'' in 2006. This was followed by the 2007 four disc set ''Irish Ways: Story of Ireland in Song, Music & Poetry''. The albums followed Irish history through songs and poems from 1796 to the present day. The albums are credited to The Alias Acoustic Band.

Discography

Albums

* ''Juice on the Loose'' (1981) (Juice On The Loose),

Chiswick Records Chiswick Records was a British independent record label. Established in 1975, Chiswick was the "first true ' indie' label to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the " punk era". It re ...

* ''Rollin' & Coastin'' (1985), (Ron Kavana) Appaloosa Records * '' Think Like a Hero'' (1989) (Alias Ron Kavana), Chiswick Records * ''For the Children'' (1990) (LILT – The London Irish Live Trust), Alias Records * '' Coming Days'' (1991) (Alias Ron Kavana), Chiswick Records * '' Home Fire'' (1991) (Ron Kavana), Special Delivery/

Topic Records Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.M. Brocken, ...

Green Linnet Records Green Linnet Records was an American independent record label that specialized in Celtic music. Founded by Lisa Null and Patrick Sky as Innisfree Records in 1973, the label was initially based in Null's house in New Canaan, Connecticut. In 1975, t ...

(1992) * ''

Dancin' To The Ceili Band The Bucks were a band who played music based largely on Irish folk, touring briefly and recording and releasing one album for WEA Records in 1994. While remaining obscure, the band was formed by well-known Irish musicians Ron Kavana and Terry W ...

'' (1994) ( The Bucks),

WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...

* ''Galway to Graceland'' (1995) (Alias Ron Kavana), Alias Recordings * ''Alien Alert (live)'' (1999) (Ron Kavana with The Resident Aliens),

Proper Records Proper Records is an English record label founded by Proper Music Group Chairman - Malcolm Mills and Paul Riley. Commencing with a handful of releases, including the Balham Alligators and Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, the label grew in ...

* ''Irish Songs of Rebellion, Resistance and Reconciliation'' (2006) (Ron Kavana and the Alias Acoustic Band), Primo Records * ''Irish Ways: Story of Ireland in Song, Music & Poetry'' (2007) (Ron Kavana) Proper Records * ''40 Favourite Folk Songs'' (2011) (Ron Kavana and Friends), Primo Records

Other releases

* "Any Way The Wind Blows" and "Fermoy" on ''Any Way The Wind Blows'' 7" Single (Juice On The Loose) (1980) The Songwriter's Workshop * "Sweet Love In The Valley", b-side on ''Cowboys And Indians'' 7" Single (Juice On The Loose) (1981) The Songwriter's Workshop * "A Living Wage" on ''Hard Cash'' (Various Artists) (1990) Green Linnet Records * "

Who Knows Where the Time Goes? "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny. Denny originally recorded the song as a demo in 1967, singing and playing guitar on the track. Later that year, she briefly joined the ...

" on ''Get Weaving'' (Various Artists) (1992) Weaving Records * "Stand/Close It Down" (as Ron & Miriam Kavana) ''Undefeated - A Benefit For The Miners'' (Various Artists) (1992) Fuse Records * "Lovely Cottage-Gold Ochra At Killarny Point To Points" on ''Folk Heritage'' (Various Artists) (1992) Music Club International * "Lovely Cottage-Gold Ochra At Killarny Point To Points" on ''Folk Heritage II'' (Various Artists) (1992) Music Club International * "As I Roved Out" on ''Giving People Choices'' (Various Artists) (1993) ActionAid * "Reconciliation" on ''The Folk Collection'' (Various Artists) (1993) Topic Records * "

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight ''I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight'' is the second album released by Richard Thompson, and his first to include his then wife, Linda Thompson, the pair being credited as Richard and Linda Thompson. It was released by Island Records in t ...

" on ''The World Is a Wonderful Place: The Songs of Richard Thompson'' (Various Artists) (1993) Green Linnet Records * " Sloop John B." on ''Out on the Rolling Sea - A Tribute to Joseph Spence'' (Various Artists) (1994) Hokey Pokey Records * "The Kilshannig Wager" on ''The Folk Collection 2 '' (Various Artists) (1995) Topic Records * "Home Fire/Beyond The Pale" on ''Delicias Celtas'' (Various Artists) (1995) Ediciones Resistencia * "St. Patrick's Day In New Orleans" (as Alias Ron Kavana) on ''fRoots #6'' (Various Artists) (1996)

* "Reconciliation", "Fermoy Regatta/Tom's Tavern" on ''A Living Thing: Contemporary Classics of Traditional Irish Music'' (Various Artists, Produced by Ron Kavana)

Globe Style Ace Records Ltd. is a British record label founded in 1978. Initially the company only gained permission from the similarly named label based in Mississippi to use the name in the UK, but eventually also acquired the rights to publish their r ...

* "Pennies For Black Babies" (as Alias Ron Kavana) on ''Roots - 20 Years Of Essential Folk, Roots & World Music'' (Various Artists) (1999) Manteca * "Reconciliation" on ''

: Three Score & Ten: A Voice to the People'' (Various Artists) (1999) Topic Records

In film

Kavana has appeared in and/or composed music for the soundtracks of such films as ''

Sid and Nancy ''Sid and Nancy'' (also known as ''Sid and Nancy: Love Kills'') is a 1986 British biographical film directed by Alex Cox, co-written with Abbe Wool, and starring Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb. The film portrays the life of Sid Vicious, bassist of t ...

'', ''

Ryan's Daughter ''Ryan's Daughter'' is a 1970 British epic romantic drama film directed by David Lean and starring Robert Mitchum and Sarah Miles. The film, set between August 1917 and January 1918, tells the story of a married Irish woman who has an affair ...

'', and '' Hidden Agenda'' (1990).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kavana, Ron 1950 births Living people Irish male singer-songwriters Irish mandolinists Irish male guitarists Irish harmonica players Irish blues guitarists Musicians from County Cork Musicians from London People from Fermoy Proper Records artists Green Linnet Records artists