Vincent Cross (born August 22, 1971) is an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
singer/songwriter known for his Irish song poetry that draws from various traditional folk idioms and ancient myths. He was born in
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 ...
, raised in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and is now based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He has released four critically acclaimed albums and performed with artists such as
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top ten ...
,
Odetta
Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...
,
Damien Rice
Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate success i ...
,
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". T ...
’ Ron Kavana, and
Roy Book Binder
Roy Book Binder (born October 5, 1943 as Paul Roy Bookbinder) is an American blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and storyteller. A student and friend of the Rev. Gary Davis, he is equally at home with blues and ragtime. He is known to shift fr ...
among many others.
Career
Cross’s career began in the early 90’s when he moved from
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 ...
to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
where he busked on
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in Soho in the City of Westminster, Central London. Close to Oxford Street and Regent Street, it is home to fashion and lifestyle retailers, including many independent fashion boutiques.
Stre ...
and performed at several venues around the city. By the early 2000’s, Cross was touring regularly across
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 ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, and
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
, making a name for himself in the traditional Irish music scene.
In 2002, he recorded and released his self-titled EP with producer Shane Kerwin. The album caught the ears of Galway Bay FM DJ Jon Richards who included him on two separate nationally released compilation albums, ''Undercurrents'' (2001) and ''Inundations'' (2002).
In 2006, Cross moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
where he performed at regular bluegrass jams around the city.
He formed the traditional bluegrass band Good Company and released his first full-length album ''Home Away From Home'' in 2008.
On May 8, 2008, Cross performed at an
Odetta
Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...
tribute concert hosted by
Wavy Gravy
Hugh Nanton Romney Jr. (born May 15, 1936), known as Wavy Gravy, is an American entertainer and peace activism, activist best known for his role at Woodstock, as well as for his hippie persona and counterculture of the 1960s, countercultural be ...
at Banjo Jim’s. The folk legend would later rave about Cross’ performance, stating “I heard a crystal clear voice that took me back to when I was being introduced to mountain music groups and families of Appalachia. It was a pleasure to hear such beauty coming out of Vincent Cross.”
Cross released his sophomore album ''A Town Called Normal'' in 2013 which was followed by ''Old Songs For Modern Folk'' in 2016. It reached #2 on the National Folk DJ Albums Chart, hit #68 on Roots Music Report’s Top Traditional Folk Album Chart, and was nominated by the Independent Music Awards for Best Tribute Album.
In 2020, Cross released his latest album titled ''The Life & Times of James “The Rooster” Corcoran''. The songs were inspired by
James “The Rooster” Corcoran, a 19th-century Irish-American gang leader in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, whom Cross is a direct descendant of. It was praised by ''PopMatters'', who described it as “a subtle but powerful portrait,” and ''Brooklyn Vegan'' who called it “Compelling
ndtimeless.”
In 2021, Cross was published in ''Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore'' for his essay titled "Writing the Songs of our Ancestors: A Folk Songwriting Process."
In 2023, he was a finalist in the International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA) in the Country/Bluegrass category for his unreleased single "In the Eyes of My Father."
Discography
Studio Albums
* ''Home Away From Home'' (2008)
* ''A Town Called Norma'' (2013)
* ''Old Songs For Modern Folk'' (2016)
* ''The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran'' (2020)
EPs
* ''Vincent Cross'' (2002)
* ''Laugh My Cry: Vincent Cross & Good Company'' (2007)
Links Official Website
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross, Vincent
21st-century Irish musicians
Irish folk musicians
1971 births
Living people
20th-century Irish folk musicians
21st-century Irish folk musicians