Celtic balladeer John McDermott was born in Scotland, but following his family's relocation to Canada in the mid-'60s, he went on to hone his crystalline tenor at Toronto's St. Michael's Choir School. After graduating he accepted the position of circulation manager with a Toronto newspaper; discovered while singing at a private party, McDermott... [+] Read More

Celtic balladeer John McDermott was born in Scotland, but following his family's relocation to Canada in the mid-'60s, he went on to hone his crystalline tenor at Toronto's St. Michael's Choir School. After graduating he accepted the position of circulation manager with a Toronto newspaper; discovered while singing at a private party, McDermott was befriended by publishing magnate Conrad Black, who funded the sessions that led to the release of the singer's smash 1992 debut, Danny Boy, a record originally intended as a gift for his parents' golden wedding anniversary. Old Friends followed in 1994, and a year later McDermott issued Christmas Memories; with 1996's Love Is a Voyage, he even earned a Canadian Juno Award nomination as Male Vocalist of the Year. When I Grow Too Old to Dream appeared in 1997, and a year later he resurfaced with If Ye Break Faith -- We Shall Not Sleep (retitled Remembrance for American consumption). Between 1998 and 2006 he released Old Friends, Time to Remember, Celtic Tenor, and Love Is a Voyage, as well as a collection of some of his most beloved material called Timeless Memories: Greatest Hits. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The older brother of Irish folk-pop singer-songwriter Luka Bloom (Barry Moore), Christy Moore is one of contemporary Irish music's best singer-songwriters. The former lead vocalist and chief songwriter of Planxty and Moving Hearts, Moore helped to bring the musical traditions of Ireland up to modern standards. As a solo singer-songwriter, Moore... [+] Read More

The older brother of Irish folk-pop singer-songwriter Luka Bloom (Barry Moore), Christy Moore is one of contemporary Irish music's best singer-songwriters. The former lead vocalist and chief songwriter of Planxty and Moving Hearts, Moore helped to bring the musical traditions of Ireland up to modern standards. As a solo singer-songwriter, Moore has continued to add elements of rock and popular music to his well-crafted, tradition-based tunes and has been a major inspiration to such modern Irish artists as U2, Sinead O'Connor and the Pogues.

Traditional Irish music had little influence on Moore's early music. Trained in old-time pop tunes and religious music, Moore was inspired as a teenager by the rock & roll of American artists including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. It wasn't until he had moved to London, where he heard Irish folk songs sung in Irish ghettos, that he became aware of the musical traditions of his homeland. Acquiring an acoustic guitar and Irish drum (bodhran), Moore began busking in the streets. Moore continued to attract attention with his original, folk-like songs after returning to Ireland in the late 1960s. Moore's debut solo album, Paddy on the Road, was released in 1969.

While recording his third album, Prosperous, in 1972, Moore assembled a band that evolved into Planxty. The group's fusion of Celtic music and high-energy rock made Planxty one of Ireland's most influential bands. With Moore singing lead in his heavily accented brogue and playing rhythm guitar and bodhran, Planxty brought together such top-ranked Irish musicians as Donal Lunny (guitar, bouzouki, bottleneck bouzouki), Liam O'Flynn (uilleann pipes, whistle) and Andy Irvine (mandolin, mouth organ). Although he left Planxty in 1974, Moore returned when the band's original lineup reunited in 1979. He remained with Planxty until 1983, when it evolved into a new band, Moving Hearts. Moore served as frontman for Moving Hearts until leaving to resume his solo career in 1985.

The excitement of Moore's concerts has been documented on two albums. Live In Dublin, released in 1978, featured accompaniment by Donal Lunny. Live at the Point, released in 1995, captures a solo performance at the Point Theater in Dublin in July 1994. Moore's solo recordings between 1973 and 1978, were compiled on The Folk Collection, released in 1978. His solo recordings between 1981 and 1991 were anthologized on The Christy Moore Collection, released in 1991. Moore's 1985 album Voyage featured backing vocals by Sinead O'Connor, Elvis Costello and Mary Black, plus accordion player Shamus Shannon. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Comprising three sisters and one brother of the Corr family -- vocalist Andrea, drummer Caroline, violinist Sharon and guitarist/keyboard player Jim -- the Corrs blend the music of their Irish background with contemporary pop/rock and occasional use of synthesizers. The quartet formed in 1991, and was confined to regional popularity in Ireland... [+] Read More

Comprising three sisters and one brother of the Corr family -- vocalist Andrea, drummer Caroline, violinist Sharon and guitarist/keyboard player Jim -- the Corrs blend the music of their Irish background with contemporary pop/rock and occasional use of synthesizers. The quartet formed in 1991, and was confined to regional popularity in Ireland until 1994, when the American ambassador to the country invited the Corrs to perform at the 1994 World Cup in Boston. The attraction led to a support slot on Celine Dion's 1996 tour, which the group joined just after an appearance at that year's Olympic Games in Atlanta. The Corrs' debut album Forgiven, Not Forgotten (released on Lava/Atlantic in America) became internationally popular, but nowhere more so than their homeland, where the LP's four-times-platinum status made it one of the most popular debuts by an Irish group. Talk on Corners followed in 1998, and was reissued in expanded form early the following year. Andrea Corr, who had made a small appearance in the 1991 film The Commitments, returned to acting five years later with a role in Evita. The group returned to the studio and produced a fourth album in 2000, In Blue. VH1 Presents the Corrs: Live in Dublin was released in 2002 while the band took a break. Caroline had a baby and Andrea appeared on the In America soundtrack, performing vocals on the Bono/Gavin Friday-penned "Time Enough for Tears." A new version of the Oscar-nominated song appeared on the Corrs' 2004 return, Borrowed Heaven. Home arrived in 2005, followed by All the Way Home: A History of the Corrs in 2006. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Clannad bridged the gap between traditional Celtic music and pop. Usually, their results were an entrancing, enchanting form of pop that managed to fuse the disparate elements together rather seamlessly. Such fusions have earned the band an international cult of fans.

Taking their name from the Gaelic word for "family," Clannad... [+] Read More

Clannad bridged the gap between traditional Celtic music and pop. Usually, their results were an entrancing, enchanting form of pop that managed to fuse the disparate elements together rather seamlessly. Such fusions have earned the band an international cult of fans.

Taking their name from the Gaelic word for "family," Clannad formed in 1970 when the Brennan family -- Maire (vocals, harp), Ciaran (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Pol (guitar, percussion, flute, vocals) -- began playing at their father Leo's tavern with two of their uncles, Padraig Duggan (guitar, vocals, mandolin) and Noel Duggan (guitar, vocals). Soon afterward, the group began playing folk festivals in Ireland. They released their self-titled first album in 1973, yet the band didn't earn any widespread success until they toured Germany in 1975. Maire's sister, Enya, joined the group in 1979, yet left in 1982, just as the group was beginning to come into some pop success in the U.K. Clannad recorded the theme song for the television program Harry's Game; the single hit number five on the charts and won the band an Ivor Novello Award. The band recorded the soundtrack to the television production Robin of Sherwood in 1984; it won a British Academy Award for best soundtrack the next year. Clannad's success continued in 1986, when U2's Bono was featured on the Top 20 hit "In a Lifetime." The band continued to release albums into the 1990s, building their pop following without losing their folk audience. Landmarks, was issued in early 1998. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Black Family is one of the most important musical clans in Ireland. While sisters Mary and Frances rank among the best-selling folk artists in the world, the three albums that they recorded with their brothers -- Shay, Michael, and Martin -- document the strength of this family collaboration. The three brothers and two sisters inherited... [+] Read More

The Black Family is one of the most important musical clans in Ireland. While sisters Mary and Frances rank among the best-selling folk artists in the world, the three albums that they recorded with their brothers -- Shay, Michael, and Martin -- document the strength of this family collaboration. The three brothers and two sisters inherited their love of music from their parents. Their father, who hailed from Rathlin Island, played fiddle, while their mother sang traditional and music hall songs. Although the five siblings performed together in Dublin pubs in the mid-'70s, Mary left the group in 1977 to sing with General Humbert and DeDanaan and as a soloist. The Black Family continued to perform as a trio, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1986. Three years later, Mary returned to tour and record an album, Time for Touching Home, with her brothers and younger sister Frances. Soon afterwards, she resumed her solo career with Frances, Shay, Michael, and Martin continuing as a quartet. Before long, however, Frances left the group to sing with Arcady and on her own. Mary and Frances returned to sing harmony on their brothers' 1995 album, What a Time, which also included the singing of their mother, Patty, on an old music hall tune. Although Shay and Michael emigrated to San Francisco in the mid-'90s, the Black Family continues to periodically come together to sing. In 1997, they reunited at Milwaukee's Irish festival for a benefit concert to raise funds to restore their father's birthplace on Rathlin Island. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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One of the best albums of Irish singing you'll find, this features old ballads, sea shanties, and contemporary numbers all together. ~ Steve Winick, All Music Guide

One of the best albums of Irish singing you'll find, this features old ballads, sea shanties, and contemporary numbers all together. ~ Steve Winick, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The appropriately named Corrs are an Irish pop group consisting of Andrea Corr on lead vocals and tin whistle; Caroline Corr on drums, bodhran, and vocals; Jim Corr on keyboards, guitar, and vocals; and Sharon Corr on violin and vocals. The traditional Irish instruments like the bodhran and tin whistle add a twist to the pop melodies of tracks... [+] Read More

The appropriately named Corrs are an Irish pop group consisting of Andrea Corr on lead vocals and tin whistle; Caroline Corr on drums, bodhran, and vocals; Jim Corr on keyboards, guitar, and vocals; and Sharon Corr on violin and vocals. The traditional Irish instruments like the bodhran and tin whistle add a twist to the pop melodies of tracks like the title track and "The Right Time," where they are allowed some solo time. The Irish musical background of the band members is most obviously heard in Sharon Corr's violin work, used here more like a traditional Irish fiddle than a true classical violin. There are glimpses of the Corrs' skill as instrumentalists on tracks like "Erin Shore," the introduction on the album. There are a few of these instrumentals placed throughout the album, but unfortunately, none are much longer than two minutes. The focus is on the adult contemporary mid-tempo songs. The Corrs are more reminiscent of vocal pop group Wilson Phillips than traditional Irish bands like the Chieftains. ~ Susan Cruickshank, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The best of Clannad's 1982-1989 tenure on RCA is compiled on the 19-track compilation Rogha, which includes "Theme From 'Harry's Game'," "In a Lifetime" (the group's duet with U2's Bono), and a pair of collaborations with Bruce Hornsby, "Second Nature" and "Something to Believe In." ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

The best of Clannad's 1982-1989 tenure on RCA is compiled on the 19-track compilation Rogha, which includes "Theme From 'Harry's Game'," "In a Lifetime" (the group's duet with U2's Bono), and a pair of collaborations with Bruce Hornsby, "Second Nature" and "Something to Believe In." ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Guests include Andy Irvine, Liam O'Flynn, Donal Lunny, and Kevin Conneff. It's a collector's item, mainly because it was the album that spawned Planxty. ~ Steve Winick, All Music Guide

Guests include Andy Irvine, Liam O'Flynn, Donal Lunny, and Kevin Conneff. It's a collector's item, mainly because it was the album that spawned Planxty. ~ Steve Winick, All Music Guide [-] Hide