John Kerr (c.1925 – 25 April 2006) was 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 ...
ballad singer from
Coolback,
Fanad
Fanad (official name: Fánaid) is a peninsula that lies between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay on the north coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The origins of the name Fanad are lost in time thought there is some speculation that the name derives fr ...
,
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 Tyrconn ...
,
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 ...
.
The family name was actually Carr. His family ran a local shop in Coolback and his brother James was a shoe maker and cobbler.
His best-known recording is ''
Three Leafed Shamrock'' which reached number 1 in the singles charts of the
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 Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
on 1 April 1972.
Kerr came into the business during the
showband
The Irish showband was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six- or seven-piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and ...
era as a lead singer with the ''Classic Showband''. In the late 60's his decided to retire from the bandstand and the recording of ''Mulroy Bay'' was intended to be his swan song, but the song was such a success that it launched Kerr into a solo career. His success was followed by a further number 1 song "Three leaf Shamrock" John went on to record fourteen albums during his career which continued right up to his 80th year.
Kerr ran a shop in Bridgetown, Kerrykeel until the turn of the century.
He started out as a shoe repairer and built a small drapery business that served both the tourist trade and local needs. He was Kerrykeel's number 1 son.
Year of birth uncertain
2006 deaths
Irish folk singers
Irish male singers
Musicians from County Donegal
{{Ireland-singer-stub