Andrea Corr | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Andrea Jane Corr |
Born | Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland | 17 May 1974
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Years active | 1990–present |
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Andrea Jane Corr (born 17 May 1974) is an Irish musician and actress. Corr debuted in 1990 as the lead singer of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group The Corrs along with her three elder siblings Caroline, Sharon and Jim. Aside from singing lead vocals, Corr plays the tin whistle, the mandolin, the ukulele and the piano. [1]
With the others, Corr has released seven studio albums, two compilation albums, one remix album and two live albums. Corr has also pursued a solo career, releasing her debut album, Ten Feet High , in 2007. [2] [3] The album moved away from the sound of the Corrs and features a dance-pop sound. [4] Her next album, released on 30 May 2011, was entirely made up of covers of songs that were important to her when younger.
Corr is involved in charitable activities. She has played charity concerts to raise money for the Pavarotti & Friends Liberian Children's Village, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the victims of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland and The Prince's Trust in 2004. [5] [6] [7] [8] She is an ambassador for the Nelson Mandela's "46664" campaign, raising awareness towards AIDS in Africa. [9] During the Edinburgh Live 8 on 2 July 2005 The Corrs performed "When the Stars Go Blue" alongside Bono to promote the Make Poverty History campaign. [10] Along with her siblings, she was appointed an honorary M.B.E. in 2005 by Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to music and charity. [11]
Andrea Corr was born to Gerry Corr, a supervisor of a payroll unit of the Irish Electricity Supply Board (the E.S.B.), and his wife, Jean, a housewife. She is the youngest of the five Corr children. [12] Older brother Gerard was killed when he was only three years old in a road accident before she and her sister Caroline were born. Andrea discussed the devastating death with Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show aired by RTÉ Entertainment. [13]
The family was raised in Dundalk, Ireland. [14] Gerry and Jean had their own band, Sound Affair, which played songs by ABBA and The Eagles in local pubs in Dundalk where they would often bring along their children. [15] [16]
With the encouragement of her parents, Andrea took up the tin whistle and was taught the piano by her father. Throughout their teenage years, she and her siblings would often practice in Jim's bedroom at a house he had rented. Andrea sang lead vocals, Sharon played the violin and both Caroline and Jim played keyboards. [17] Andrea took part in school plays at her school, Dundalk's Dun Lughaidh Convent. [18]
In 1990, Corr and her siblings formed a quartet called The Corrs. [19] Their career launched in 1991 when they auditioned for the film The Commitments in which Andrea gained a speaking role as Sharon Rabbitte. [20] John Hughes noticed the quartet when they auditioned for the movie, and agreed to become their manager. [21] The Corrs signed with Atlantic Records in 1995 and travelled to North America to record their debut album Forgiven, Not Forgotten . The album featured six instrumental selections among its Celtic-influenced tracks. When released, it was successful in Ireland, Australia, Japan, and Spain. The album reached platinum status in the United Kingdom and Australia, and quadruple platinum in Ireland, which made it one of the most popular debuts by an Irish group. [22] [23] [24] [25]
Following on from the success of their debut album, they released Talk on Corners and In Blue in 1997 and 2000 respectively. [26] Originally Talk on Corners met with lukewarm success, until a remix version was released, when it topped the charts in many countries, and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom and Australia. [27] [28] In Blue moved towards mainstream pop, placing heavy emphasis on electronic synthesisers. It was successful, and was No. 1 in its first sales week in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and debuted at No. 2 in France and Norway. It climbed to the top position during its second week in Sweden and Spain. [29]
During the production of In Blue, their mother, Jean, died while waiting for a lung transplant in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, UK. [30] She was laid to rest at St. Patrick's cemetery in Dundalk. Bono, Larry Mullen, Brian Kennedy and Paul Brady were among the attendees. [31] "No More Cry", written by Andrea and Caroline Corr for the album, was dedicated to their father hoping to help with his grief. [32]
In 2003, Andrea recorded "Time Enough For Tears", a song written by Bono and Gavin Friday for the film In America . [33] This track was featured on The Corrs' 2004 album Borrowed Heaven . [34] Borrowed Heaven was dedicated to their late mother, Jean, and their father, Gerry. [35] The band also dedicated their 2005 tribute album Home to their deceased mother. [36] The band covered many traditional Irish songs taken from their mother's songbook to commemorate their 15 years as a band. [37] [38] [39]
In an interview with Chris Evans in June 2015, Andrea confirmed that The Corrs were working on a new album and would play the BBC Radio 2 'Live in Hyde Park' festival. [40] Their sixth studio album, White Light , [41] was released on 27 November 2015, and was accompanied by a world tour.
In 2017 they released their latest album to date Jupiter Calling, produced by T-Bone Burnett.
While her siblings were on hiatus to raise their families, Andrea launched a solo career. She released her first album, Ten Feet High , on 25 June 2007. It was produced by Nellee Hooper, who has worked with Gwen Stefani and Madonna; Bono was an executive producer. [42] Her first single, "Shame on You" was an up-tempo pop song about men and women going to war and leaving behind partners they may never see again. [43] It received positive reviews from music critics; IndieLondon described the song as a "slick package" that was "polished, well produced and with a message that's difficult to ignore". [43] Losing Today's David Adair gave the song a strong review, writing that Corr's vocals were "crisp and uplifting". [44] Liverpool's Daily Post gave the song a three-star rating, commenting that it was "deceptively upbeat", which masked its "heavier message about conscription and war". [45]
In 2011 she released her second solo album Lifelines . This album contains covers of song by the likes John Lennon, Donna Summer, The Velvet Underground and more.
In 2020 she released an EP called Christmas Songs . The EP contains 4 classical Christmas songs and one original song titled Begin Again.
Andrea Corr entered the film industry in 1991 with Alan Parker's film The Commitments , in which she had a speaking part as Sharon Rabbitte. [20] In 1996, Parker was directing the film version of the rock opera Evita which starred Madonna. He was so keen on having Andrea in the film that he cast her as Juan Peron's mistress, where she performed part of "Hello and Goodbye". [46] Corr provided the singing voice for Kayley, opposite Bryan White (Garrett) in Warner Brothers' first fully animated film, 1998's The Quest for Camelot . [47]
Corr resumed her acting career in 2003 where she was cast as Anne in The Boys from County Clare . The film was not a commercial success, but she won the Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Actress in the US Comedy Arts Festival and was nominated for Best Actress in the IFTA Awards. During the Corrs' hiatus she was featured in the 2005 film The Bridge and the 2006 film Broken Thread. Corr appeared as Christina in the play Dancing at Lughnasa staged at The Old Vic theatre in London from February until May 2009 . [48]
She played the title role in Jane Eyre by Alan Stanford at the Gate Theatre in Dublin which opened on 9 November 2010. [49]
In 2018 she wrote and released a book, titled Barefoot Pilgrimage . In this she writes about her youth, the warmth of her family, and about The Corrs. [50]
Andrea Corr and her siblings have played charity concerts to raise money for the Pavarotti & Friends Liberian Children's Village, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, the victims of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, and The Prince's Trust in 2004. [5] [7] [8] [51] They are also ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela's "46664" campaign, where they performed live to raise awareness towards AIDS in Africa. [52] During the Edinburgh Live 8 on 2 July 2005 The Corrs performed "When the Stars Go Blue" alongside Bono to promote the Make Poverty History campaign. [10] In recognition for their charity performances, The Corrs were made Honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 by Queen Elizabeth II. [53]
Corr also partook in a tribute single to the late member of The Dubliners, Ronnie Drew, called "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew." [54] The song was released on 19 February 2008 and was performed by a number of famous Irish musicians. This included members of U2, Sinéad O'Connor, Christy Dignam of Aslan, Robert Hunter of the Grateful Dead, who wrote the song, Kíla, Christy Moore, Moya Brennan, Shane MacGowan, Bob Geldof, Damien Dempsey, Gavin Friday, Iona Green, Jerry Fish, Paul Brady, Paddy Casey, Mick Pyro, Mundy, Chris de Burgh, Ronan Keating, Jack L, Eleanor Shanley, Mary Black, Declan O'Rourke, Mary Coughlan, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, The Dubliners themselves and The Chieftains. The single was written to originally include Ronnie himself but was changed to be a tribute to him as his health was declining. Proceeds from sale of the single went to The Irish Cancer Society at the request of Drew himself. The song was performed live on The Late Late Show aired by RTÉ Entertainment [55] on 22 February with Ronnie Drew in attendance as an audience member, and entered the Irish Single Charts at No. 2.
On 10 October 2010, Corr, amongst others, contributed to the Kirsty MacColl tribute concert held at Shepherd's Bush Empire to commemorate MacColl's birthday and raise money for charity. She also wrote and sang the song "Oh Brother" on the album Music of Ireland – Welcome Home.
On 30 November 2012, Corr lent her support to Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation together with Tim Janis, Sarah McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt, Hayley Westenra, performing on "The American Christmas Carol" concert in Carnegie Hall. [56] [57]
Corr married Brett Desmond on August 21, 2009. [58] Sharon Corr and Caroline Corr sang "No Frontiers" at the wedding, and Damien Dempsey, Sharon Shannon, Seamus Begley, and Corr herself also performed on stage in the church. [59] In November 2011, Corr's pregnancy was announced. [60] [61] [62] [63] Corr gave birth to daughter Jean on 28 April 2012, [64] and son Brett Jr. on 4 January 2014. [65]
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(May 2018) |
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IRE | IRE Indie | AUS [66] | FRA | GER | NLD | SPA | SWI | UK | ||
Ten Feet High |
| 24 | – | 98 | 128 | 86 | 84 | 9 | 42 | 38 |
Lifelines |
| 40 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 48 |
The Christmas Album |
| 72 [68] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 32 |
Title | Details |
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Christmas Songs |
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Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IRE | SPA | UK | |||
"All I Have to Do Is Dream" (with Laurent Voulzy) | 2006 | – | – | – | La Septième Vague |
"Shame on You" | 2007 | 43 | 20 | 108 | Ten Feet High |
"Champagne from a Straw" | – | – | – | ||
"Tinseltown in the Rain" [69] | 2011 | – | – | – | Lifelines |
"Pale Blue Eyes" / "Blue Bayou" | – | – | – |
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(May 2018) |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1991 | The Commitments | Sharon Rabbitte |
1996 | Evita | Juan Peron's mistress |
1998 | Quest for Camelot | Kayley (singing voice) |
2003 | The Boys from County Clare | Anne |
2005 | The Bridge | Mary |
2006 | Broken Thread | Lily |
2009 | Pictures | Donna |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2010 | Jane Eyre The Gate Theatre | Jane Eyre |
2009 | Dancing at Lughnasa The Old Vic theatre | Christina "Chris" Mundy |
Moya Brennan, also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing professionally in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad. Brennan released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire, a successful venture. She has received a Grammy Award from five nominations and has won an Emmy Award. She has recorded music for several soundtracks, including Titanic, To End All Wars and King Arthur.
The Corrs are an Irish family band consisting of siblings Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim. Their music combines pop rock with traditional Irish themes. They are from Dundalk in County Louth, Ireland.
Caroline Georgina Corr is an Irish singer and drummer for the Celtic folk rock band the Corrs. In addition to the drums, she plays the bodhrán, cajón, percussions and piano.
Sharon Helga Corr, is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, and television personality. She is best known as a member of the pop-rock band the Corrs, which she co-founded in 1990 with her elder brother Jim and younger sisters Caroline and Andrea. She plays the violin, piano and guitar, and sings backing vocals. She began learning the violin when she was six years old. She has played in national youth orchestras and is qualified to teach the violin.
James Steven Ignatius Corr is an Irish musician, singer, songwriter and DJ. He is a member of the Irish folk/rock band the Corrs, the other members being his three younger sisters Andrea, Sharon and Caroline.
Borrowed Heaven is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band The Corrs, released through Atlantic Records on 31 May 2004. The album was produced by Olle Romo.
The Corrs Unplugged is the third album by Irish band The Corrs, filmed and released in the fall of 1999. The album is part of the iconic MTV Unplugged series, which features musicians performing in a more acoustic, “stripped-down” concert setting. Initially, the album was released internationally, albeit not in the United States until a year later, after the band had experienced further success with their single “Breathless” and their fourth album In Blue, with both releases earning them their highest chart positions to-date in the US.
46664 was a series of AIDS benefit concerts played in honour of Nelson Mandela by South African and foreign musicians between 2003 and 2008.
Anthony "Anto" Drennan is an Irish guitarist and bassist noted for his involvement with the Corrs, Genesis and Mike + the Mechanics.
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician, best known for her work with the button accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 debut album, Sharon Shannon, was the best-selling album of traditional Irish music ever released in Ireland. Beginning with Irish folk music, her work demonstrates a wide-ranging number of musical influences. She won the lifetime achievement award at the 2009 Meteor Awards.
The Corrs are an Irish folk rock/pop band consisting of siblings Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim Corr. Formed in their hometown of Dundalk, Ireland, in 1990, the band's discography includes seven studio albums, three live albums and three compilation albums, as well as six video albums and twenty-six singles. This list does not include material recorded by The Corrs as solo artists.
"Breathless" is a song by Irish pop rock family group The Corrs. It was released in June 2000 as the first single from their third studio album, In Blue (2000). "Breathless" was co-written and produced by famed music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who produced for Shania Twain, Bryan Adams and Def Leppard, among others. "Breathless" is a pop song with lyrics about seduction.
"The Hands That Built America" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released on the soundtrack to the film Gangs of New York, and was one of two new songs on the group's The Best of 1990–2000 compilation. It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 75th Academy Awards, but lost to Eminem's "Lose Yourself".
"Runaway" is a song by Irish family band the Corrs, released in September 1995 as the debut single from their first album, Forgiven, Not Forgotten (1995). It had middling chart success except in Ireland and Australia, peaking at number 10 in both countries. It was also an adult contemporary hit in Canada, reaching number two on the RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and number 25 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. On the UK Singles Chart, it originally reached number 49, but a re-release in 1999 saw the single reach a new peak of number two on the same chart.
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin, on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of the Republic of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00 and was hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain for the first time since 2004.
The Borrowed Heaven Tour is the fourth concert tour by Irish band, The Corrs, Beginning summer 2004, the tour promoted the band's fourth studio album, Borrowed Heaven. With nearly 70 shows, the tour visited Europe and North America. It marks the first headlining tour for the band in North America. It also serves as the last headlining tour before the band went into hiatus.
The Voice of Ireland is the Irish edition of the international TV franchise The Voice, a reality singing competition created by media tycoon John de Mol. The first series began airing from 8 January 2012 on RTÉ One. The coaches originally were Bressie, Sharon Corr, Kian Egan and Brian Kennedy. Kennedy left after the first series and was replaced by Jamelia. After the second series, Corr quit the show owing to other commitments and was replaced by Dolores O'Riordan. Following series 3, Dolores and Jamelia quit. The coaches for series 4 were Bressie, Una Healy, Kian Egan and Rachel Stevens. The show was hosted by Kathryn Thomas and co-hosted by Eoghan McDermott, who also presented backstage show The Voice After Party in Series 3.
"Irresistible" is a song by Irish pop rock group the Corrs. It was released in September 2000 as the second single taken from their third studio album In Blue (2000). The song was written by the Corrs and co-written and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. "Irresistible" is a pop song with lyrics about desiring lifelong love. It received mixed reviews from music critics; some called it a pop hit, while others deemed it weak. The song was a moderate success, reaching number eight in New Zealand, number 20 in the United Kingdom, and the top 40 in several other countries, including Australia, France, and Ireland.
White Light is The Corrs' sixth studio album, released on 27 November 2015 in Europe, excluding German-speaking countries, and released on 12 February 2016 in German-speaking countries. Their first studio album in a decade, after 2005's Home, and their first of original material since 2004's Borrowed Heaven, the album marked their return to the music scene, peaking inside the Top 10 in Hungary, Ireland and Switzerland and reaching the Top 20 in 8 countries.
Susan O'Neill, also known professionally as SON, is an Irish singer-songwriter and filmmaker, from Ennis, County Clare. She is known for In the Game, an album she made with Mick Flannery.
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