Liam Clancy | |
|---|---|
 Liam Clancy (right) with singer Odetta in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Clancy |
| Born | 2 September 1935 Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Died | 4 December 2009 (aged 74) Cork, Ireland |
| Genres | Folk, traditional Irish |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, concertina |
| Years active | 1955–2009 |
| Website | liamclancy |
Liam Clancy (Irish: Liam Mac Fhlannchadha; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's first pop stars.[1] They achieved global sales of millions and appeared in sold-out concerts at such prominent venues as Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.[2][3]
Liam was generally considered to be the group's most powerful vocalist.[4] Bob Dylan regarded him as the greatest ballad singer ever.[1][3][5][6] In 1976, as part of the duo Makem and Clancy, he had a number one hit in Ireland with the anti-war song "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" (written by Scots-Australian Eric Bogle).[7] Upon his death The Irish Times said his legacy was secured.[8]
- ^ a b Grainne Cunningham and Louise Hogan (5 December 2009). "World mourns passing of an inspirational folk legend". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ "Last survivor of legendary Clancy Brothers with special voice for a ballad". The Irish Times. 5 December 2009. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
The group, described by Gay Byrne as the "most famous four Irishmen in the world", recorded 55 albums which sold in their millions around the world.
(subscription required) - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
RTÉ News: Liam Clancy dies aged 74was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Last Clancy brother relished being emotionally trapped by a songwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
IT: Singer Liam Clancy dies aged 74was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Irish folk legend Liam Clancy dies aged 74". NME. 5 December 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ Irwin, Colin (29 October 1977). "Folk: When Irish eyes are glaring...". Melody Maker. 52 (44): 64.
- ^ "Clancy's legacy secured". The Irish Times. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
Clancy's journey from Carrick-on-Suir to the place he called "the island for people escaped from repressed backgrounds", Greenwich village in New York, and into the limelight of that watershed appearance on the Ed Sullivan television show in the 1960s is indeed a remarkable story. Finding himself in the vanguard of the folk revival – on both sides of the Atlantic – was the epitome of good fortune.