Mickey MacConnell

Last updated

Mickey MacConnell (born 1947) is an Irish musician and songwriter.

Contents

Life and work

MacConnell was born in Bellanaleck [1] near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He is the youngest member of a musical family. He worked in Dublin for Irish Press Group and, later, with The Irish Times .

MacConnell began writing songs very early in his life. In 1965, [2] he wrote Only Our Rivers Run Free - a song that describes the natural world being damaged by the Irish border and that has been described by Stuart Bailie as "political but not hectoring". [3] This encouraged him to seriously devote himself to writing music when he moved to Listowel, County Kerry, where he lives [4] with his wife, Maura.

MacConnell has released only two albums. His first album, Peter Pan and Me, was released in 1992. [5] His second album, Joined Up Writing, was released in 2000.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pogues</span> British punk band

The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in King's Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse". The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s, recording several hit albums and singles. MacGowan left the band in 1991 owing to drinking problems, but the band continued – first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals – before breaking up in 1996. The Pogues re-formed in late 2001, and played regularly across the UK and Ireland and on the US East Coast, until dissolving again in 2014. The group did not record any new material during this second incarnation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thin Lizzy</span> Irish rock band

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or sometimes heavy metal.

Michael Joseph "Mickey Joe" Harte, is an Irish singer-songwriter. He represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 with the song "We've Got the World".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nik Kershaw</span> English musician (born 1958)

Nicholas David Kershaw is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Waterboys</span> Scottish folk rock band

The Waterboys are a Scottish folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained as the only constant member throughout the band's career. They have explored a number of different styles, but their music is mainly a mix of folk music with rock and roll. They dissolved in 1993 when Scott departed to pursue a solo career. The group reformed in 2000, and continue to release albums and to tour worldwide. Scott emphasises a continuity between the Waterboys and his solo work, saying that "To me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Connells</span> American rock band

The Connells are an American musical group from Raleigh, North Carolina. They play a guitar-oriented, melodic, jangle-pop style of rock music with introspective lyrics that often reflect the history or culture of the American South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria McKee</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1964)

Maria Luisa McKee is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song "Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress " from the film Pulp Fiction.

<i>Jailbreak</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Jailbreak is the sixth studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. It was released on 26 March 1976, by Vertigo Records. The album proved to be the band's commercial breakthrough in the US, and the only Thin Lizzy album with a certification in that country. The singles taken from the album include "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town"; the latter is Thin Lizzy's biggest US hit, and won the 1976 NME Award for Best Single.

<i>Johnny the Fox</i> 1976 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Johnny the Fox is the seventh studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1976. This album was written and recorded while bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott was recovering from a bout of hepatitis that put him off the road halfway through the previous Jailbreak tour. "Don't Believe a Word" was a British hit single. Johnny the Fox was the last Thin Lizzy studio album on which guitarist Brian Robertson featured as a full member of the band, as the personality clashes between him and Lynott resulted in Robertson being sacked, reinstated, and later sacked again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Scott (Scottish musician)</span> Scottish songwriter and musician

Michael Scott is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning. Scott is a vocalist, guitarist and pianist, and has played a large range of other instruments, including the bouzouki, drums, and Hammond organ on his albums. Scott is also a published writer, having released his autobiography, Adventures of a Waterboy, in 2012.

"The Town I Loved So Well" is a song written by Phil Coulter about his childhood in Derry, Northern Ireland. The first three verses are about the simple lifestyle he grew up with in Derry, while the final two deal with the Troubles, and lament how his placid hometown had become a major military outpost, plagued with violence. The final verse includes a message of hope for a "bright, brand new day", saying "They will not forget but their hearts are set / on tomorrow and peace once again".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Fleming (musician)</span> Irish singer

Tommy Fleming is an Irish singer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s after he was asked to tour the US with Phil Coulter. He soon established himself as a solo artist and found his greatest success singing traditional Irish music, both old and contemporary. Fleming has toured extensively throughout Ireland, UK, United States, the Netherlands and Australia.

Makem and Spain was an Irish-American folk music band. The band was founded as "The Makem Brothers" in February 1989 by Rory, Shane, and Conor Makem, the three sons of "The Godfather of Irish Music" Tommy Makem, and grandsons of Irish source singer Sarah Makem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Doherty (musician)</span> Musical artist

John Doherty was an Irish folk fiddler.

"Sweet Thing" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released on his second studio album Astral Weeks (1968). It was on the first side of the album, that was under the heading: In the Beginning. The song was later used in 1971 as the American B-side to Morrison's single "Blue Money".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only the Ones We Love</span> 1991 single by Tanita Tikaram

"Only The Ones We Love" is a song by British singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram, which was released in 1991 as the lead single from her third studio album Everybody's Angel. It was written by Tikaram, and produced by Tikaram, Peter van Hooke and Rod Argent.

James MacCarthy is an Irish singer-songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Days of Pearly Spencer</span> 1967 single by David McWilliams

"Days of Pearly Spencer" is a 1967 song written and originally performed by Northern Irish singer-songwriter David McWilliams, and included on his second album David McWilliams Vol. 2. Although it charted in several countries in continental Europe and in Australia, the original version was not a chart success in either the United Kingdom or Ireland. The song was rerecorded by McWilliams with a new arrangement in his album Working for the Government (1987). In 1992, a cover version by English pop singer Marc Almond reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and number eight in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Newman (singer)</span> English musician, DJ, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer

John William Peter Newman is an English musician, DJ, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known for the track "Love Me Again" which peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2013 and appeared in FIFA 14, as well as co-writing and singing on Rudimental's 2012 singles "Feel the Love" and "Not Giving In", which peaked at number one and number 14 on the chart, respectively. In 2014, he featured in the Calvin Harris single "Blame", which also topped the UK charts.

Cathal McConnell is a musician and singer best known as the mainstay of traditional band The Boys of the Lough, of which he was a founder member. His main instruments are the Irish flute and the tin whistle.

References

  1. "Cathal Buí and ancient Breifne - News - Roundup - Articles - Anglo Celt". Anglocelt.ie. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  2. Folksongs & Ballads Popular in Ireland, volume 3, edited and arranged by John Loesberg
  3. Bailie, Stuart (2018). Trouble Songs. Belfast: Bloomfield. p. 165. ISBN   978-1-5272-2047-8.
  4. HighBeam
  5. "Mickey MacConnell, Peter Pan & Me". Rambles. 28 May 2005. Retrieved 5 October 2012.