Davy Spillane | |
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Background information | |
Born | 1959 (age 63–64) Dublin, Ireland |
Genres | Celtic Folk Rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
Instrument(s) | Uilleann pipes, low whistle |
Years active | 1970 – present |
Labels | Burrenstone music |
Website | Official Website |
Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) [1] is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle.
At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. [1] His father encouraged him and inspired him with his love of all music genres. For the next three years he played at sessions and met many prominent Irish musicians. At the age of 16, he played in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe. In 1978, he began to write his own music. He starred as a gypsy in Joe Comerford's 1981 film Traveller . [1]
He is a founding member of Moving Hearts, [2] along with Christy Moore and Donal Lunny in 1981. [1] Although each member had a strong pedigree of Irish folk music, the band played mostly original compositions, sometimes with a political edge and a folk-rock sound. Their final album The Storm (1985) was purely instrumental and had several slower pieces written by Spillane. He then made the surprise move of joining up with American musician Béla Fleck, the Englishman Albert Lee, Jerry Douglas, and others to record a Davy Spillane debut album of his new compositions and bluegrass and original blues, Atlantic Bridge . [2] There was a promotional touring band which also recorded Out of the Air in 1988, essentially a live version of Atlantic Bridge. [1] Spillane then gathered together a new set of musicians, including Rory Gallagher and Kevin Glackin to record Shadow Hunter, an album of various rock and folk styles. This was followed by Pipedreams in 1991. [2]
Spillane played as special guest soloist in orchestral work in 1992 called "The Seville Suite", describing events in 1601 in Irish-Spanish history. Bill Whelan then worked for Spillane and Andy Irvine on the album, EastWind . [1] In 1993, Spillane collaborated with Canadian musicians such as Bryan Adams, and Daniel Weaver on his album Weeds plus Celine Dion's My Heart Will go On. In 1994, Spillane was a special guest soloist in Riverdance . Spillane also collaborated with Rory Gallagher on the tracks "The Road to Ballyalla", "Litton Lane" and "One For Phil" as well as with Enya on her 1988 Watermark tracks "Exile" and "Na Laetha Geal M'Óige".
In 1992, Spillane composed music for Peter Kosminsky's film Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and, in 1995, reached a larger audience with the film Rob Roy . Other compositions and guesting includes Kate Bush's Sensual World (1989), Mike Oldfield's Voyager (1996), Bryan Adams' MTV Unplugged, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello. [1] Other films include Eat the Peach and The Disappearance of Finbar . Paul Winter's album Journey with the Sun (2002). Spillane earned a Grammy Award and also nominated for second one.
Spillane served his apprenticeship with pipe-makers Dan Dowd and Johnny Burke and now makes all his own instruments. In 2000, he recorded his only album of traditional tunes with Kevin Glackin, entitled Forgotten Days.
William Michael Joseph Whelan is an Irish composer and musician. He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The result, "Riverdance", was a seven-minute piece of original music accompanying a new take on traditional Irish dancing that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze for Irish music and dance. The corresponding soundtrack album earned him a Grammy. "Riverdance" was released as a single in 1994, credited to "Bill Whelan and Anúna featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra". It reached number one in Ireland for 18 weeks and number nine in the UK. The album of the same title reached number 31 in the album charts in 1995.
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Moving Hearts is an Irish Celtic rock band formed in 1981. They followed in the footsteps of Horslips in combining Irish traditional music with rock and roll, and also added elements of jazz to their sound.
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This Woman's Work: Anthology 1978–1990 is a compilation box set by the British singer Kate Bush. Released in 1990 on CD, vinyl and cassette; it comprises her six studio albums to that point together with two additional albums of B-sides, rarities and remixes. The box set was re-released, on CD only, in 1998 in different packaging. It was not released in the US mainly due to The Sensual World being released there by Columbia Records.
Troy Donockley is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of Uilleann pipes. Having performed with many artists as a session player, he is most notable as a member of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, which he has performed with since 2007 and joined as a full-time member in 2013.
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician and producer. He plays guitar and bouzouki, as well as keyboards and bodhrán. As a founding member of popular bands Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Coolfin, Mozaik, LAPD, and Usher's Island, he has been at the forefront of the renaissance of Irish traditional music for over five decades.
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