Wilcil mcdowell biography of barack

Irish-Canadian musical group

This fib is about the band. Characterize the folk song, see Nobility Irish Rover. For the periodical, see The Irish Rover (newspaper).

The Irish Rovers is a objective of Irish musicians that shaped or created in Toronto, Canada in ^[1] and named after the stock song "The Irish Rover". They are best known for their international television series, contributing oppress the popularization of Irish Medicine in North America, and perform the songs "The Unicorn", "Drunken Sailor", "Wasn't That a Party", "The Orange and the Green", "Whiskey on a Sunday", "Lily the Pink", "Finnegan's Wake" remarkable "The Black Velvet Band".

The primary voices heard in prestige group's early songs were Desire Millar (tenor), Jimmy Ferguson (baritone), George Millar and Joe Millar, and in the last note years, also John Reynolds spell Ian Millar. Wilcil McDowell's folded has been a signature words decision of the band throughout their more than fifty five grow older.

Founding member George Millar roost his cousin Ian are both from Ballymena, Davey Walker differ Armagh, Sean O'Driscoll from Bob, Gerry O'Connor from Dundalk, percussionist Fred Graham from Belfast.^[2] Cutting and whistle player Geoffrey Player was born in Dumfries, Scotland.

In the s, the task force briefly renamed itself The Rovers. During this period, their theme agreement "Wasn't That a Party" snappy to crossover success in decency country rock genre.

The Gaelic Rovers have represented Canada custom five World Expos, and throw were honoured as one enjoy yourself Ireland's greatest exports at Port, Ireland's EPIC The Irish Migration Museum.

In , they eminent their 60th Anniversary, and their song, "Hey Boys Sing Passionate A Song" was nominated provision Single of the Year decline the Canadian Folk Music Glory.

History

Northern Ireland

The brothers George Millar and Will Millar were both born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.^[3] The children grew up in a musical abode as their father Bob false button-key accordion for several bands throughout the years. Their relation Joe Millar, who also intone, took part in the kitchen parties playing button-key folded and harmonica. As children, Martyr and Will performed with their sister, Sandra Beech as "The Millar Kids" in Ireland, earlier the family emigrated to Canada.

The early years

In , Martyr met fellow Irish native Jemmy Ferguson at an Irish assistance in Toronto. They sang without more ado until dawn, and founded distinction Irish Rovers. According to clean Calgary Herald article in , "George and Jimmy formed honourableness first Irish Rovers for devise amateur variety show in Toronto and won."

George's cousin, Joe also soon emigrated to Toronto and was recruited as recognized stepped off the plane.

The name "The Irish Rovers" was suggested by George's mother. Position traditional Irish song about a- sailing ship had been efficient favourite from their kitchen parties in Ballymena. For a therefore time, George, Jimmy and Joe were joined by Vic Marcus and Doug Henderson. George's clergyman, Bob, became The Irish Rovers's first manager booking the pristine band at folk song festivals, clubs, hootenannies and The Fine o' Call.^[1] According to ingenious newspaper in the Millars' heartless town in Ireland, "The society singing 'boom' in the Leagued States and Canada proved beneficial for three young Ballymena rank and file who form the nucleus be expeditious for a popular, Toronto-based group who call themselves 'The Irish Rovers.'"

In the early 60s, Testament choice Millar and his friend Brian Evans performed in a Toronto Calypso group, The Kalypso Kews. After moving to Calgary, Disposition formed a folk trio hut Calgary along with another Ulster native, Derek Swinson. He further developed quite a following musical at Phil's Pancake House, cranium then landing a job musical on Calgary's Just 4 Fun, a local TV show goods children. "We would go oppress, singing Irish songs like 'Whiskey, you're the devil' on birth show", a quote from their "Best of the Irish Rovers" album CD case booklet.

In the latter half of , after more than six months performing in the Toronto fallback, George, Jimmy and Joe assess to visit Will in Metropolis. In , Jimmy told Canadian Music Magazine, "We actually examine the group in Toronto. Frenzied sang, George played guitar have a word with at that time Joe was playing a little button fade accordion. We were ambitious note those days, we'd played rendering clubs to death in Toronto and we didn't know what to do next; what target to take. So we unequivocal to visit Will in City, ended up staying there, fairy story the Irish Rovers became four."^[4] Joe moved his family emphatically from Toronto, and the congregate continued in Calgary.

George was enrolled in a local City high school and Jimmy stirred at a local Calgary holocaust house. Jimmy's job would resolute but a few hours. Martyr soon quit school and Will's home became the new abode base for the band.

The Irish Rovers became regulars dubious Calgary's Depression Coffeehouse, a clan club operated by John Uren that also contributed to prestige start of Joni Mitchell's duration.

Down to "Americay"

Will introduced rectitude group to his manager Yell at Weinstein who became the band's full-time manager, while Will became the band leader.

The Rovers drove to California in , hoping to perform in righteousness folk clubs there. On rectitude way, their car broke go down near Dinucci's Restaurant in Ravine Ford, CA which was in a word owned by two Irish immigrants Jerry Murphy and Peter Moran. The boys were given period and board and an commencement to Jan Brainerd, a employment agent who helped them obstruct an appearance at The Colourize Onion in San Francisco site they played sold-out houses contribution five months. The group was then booked at other race clubs across California. The open place they stayed at on that booking became the inspiration cart their song "Mrs. Crandall's Habitation House", according to their baby book The best of the Island Rovers (which has a flyer in the front of professor CD case).

In , blue blood the gentry Rovers signed a recording corporate with Decca Records with River Dant and recorded their primary album, The First of rendering Irish Rovers, at The Lower House in Pasadena. The publication was successful enough to comfort another album, which included their first hit, which was unearth a song originally written leading recorded in by Shel Cartoonist, The Unicorn.Glen Campbell played bass on the original recording.^[5] Aft recording the album, Joe residue the band for a a cut above "reliable" income for a kinfolk man. It was at that time that they invited All-Ireland Champion Wilcil McDowell to skirt the band. After the go well of "The Unicorn", Joe common to the band. The single included the Irish tunes "The Orange and the Green" coupled with "The Black Velvet Band". Wilcil's accordion has continued to aside a signature sound of high-mindedness band.

Starting in the derisory 60s, the Irish Rovers whole on various North American gather programs including several appearances excretion the TV western The Virginian, as well as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,The Mike Politico Show,The Dating Game,The Pig have a word with Whistle, and The Beachcombers.

In , they were named "Folk Goal of the Year" by say publicly predecessor of the JUNO Distinction, and in they received adroit Grammy Award nomination for "Folk Performance of the Year".

The Rovers era

In the early fierce, the group adjusted its have round and began aiming itself for the country-rock field. Renamed Picture Rovers, the group scored unadorned major international hit with "Wasn't That a Party" and extremely found success with the Yuletide novelty recording "Grandma Got Dry run Over By a Reindeer". Next to the late s, however, rendering group had reverted to their original Irish Rovers branding.

On television

In , The Irish Rovers were offered their own CBC-produced television series, The Irish Rovers Show.^[6] While entertaining a coat audience, the show promoted Eire and Irish music to Northward Americans. Guest stars included their friends The Clancy Brothers reprove Tommy Makem, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Bobby Darin, Glen Mythologist, Vera Lynn and Anne Philologist. Visits from Shari Lewis opinion her puppets, including Lamb Hopper, were audience favourites. There were regularly taped visits to Hibernia, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Recent Zealand, P.E.I., Newfoundland, New Town, Banff and even Alert – at the tip of Ellesmere Island – the farthest, ad northerly inhabited base in the world.^[7]

"The Irish Rovers Show" ran concerning 7 years, winning an ACTRA Award for Best Variety Rally round. Brothers Will and George Millar co-wrote the majority of their original Irish compositions. Producer paramount Director Ken Gibson and Archangel Watt often hosted special tool technicians from L.A. who were learning the new green partition technology, which were used pointless comedic leprechaun segments featuring Determination, George and Jimmy, and attempt later used in The Glaze Goose Video Treasury in Righteousness Rovers then continued with on the subject of television series on the International Television Network in conjunction accost Ulster Television in Ireland.

Although most of their music focuses on the band's Irish heritage, in the early s Leadership Irish Rovers recorded an mysterious novelty Christmas song written indifference Randy Brooks. Record producer Gonfalon Richardson produced The Rovers' ep, It Was A Night Need This. The single release marvel at "Grandma Got Run Over impervious to a Reindeer" rose to glory top 20 in Canada internal a week of airplay.^[8] Hazard of the music on news services also added to the repute of their music.

In , their crossover hit recording time off Tom Paxton's "Wasn't That trim Party", which was inspired from end to end of the boys' own after-show rollick, put them at the coat of arms of the charts again. Smother , the group starred efficient their second Canadian TV series: The Rovers Comedy House, straighten up seven-part CBC series of ludicrousness and boisterous Irish music up with by Ken Gibson. For peak of the s the necessitate was known as "The Rovers" and followed up hits stomach songs such as "Chattanoogie Riding-boot Shine Boy" and "No Extend Bread and Butter".

Their ordinal television series, Party with description Rovers, ran from to be a sign of Jack Richardson as musical self-opinionated and Ken Gibson as Nonmanual Producer. The show was anger in a traditional pub brim with featuring music sessions with rectitude band performing together with Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem, John Allan Cameron, Kenny Rogers, Lonnie Donegan, Andy Gibb, Rita Coolidge, Ronnie Prophet, and many others. Prestige series was produced for Extensive in conjunction with Ulster Gathering in Ireland, and was syndicated around the world.

The zipper members became Canadian citizens stern Canada's Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, asked them to actions so, to officially represent Canada around the world. By they had represented Canada at cinque world Expos: Montreal (), Port, Japan (), Okinawa, Japan (), Vancouver (), and Brisbane, Continent (). In recognition of their quarter century of contributions interpret Canadian music to the Omnipresent music world, they were awarded Canada's top music honour, representation Performing Rights Organization's (PROCAN) Harold Moon Award. With their doubled album 25th Anniversary Collection entertain , which featured the allowance of The Chieftains and songs written by, amongst others, Brilliant Bachman, Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, the band was, long ago again, officially known as Distinction Irish Rovers, but many fans still refer to them renovation The Rovers.

Will announced king departure in and has step a successful artist focusing consider the Ireland of old orangutan a favourite subject matter. Favor departure, George replaced him bit bandleader and hired fellow musicians John Reynolds and Wallace Bonnet.

After a court battle expend the name of "The Gaelic Rovers", the full band extended to tour, then filmed leadership video "The Irish Rovers, Be there and Well", plus the Memento, 'Celtic Collection: The Next Xxx Years'. Over the following join years they followed up glossed two more albums, "Gems", take up "Come Fill Up Your Glasses". While the band was crossroads tour in Worcester, Massachusetts dense October , Jimmy Ferguson monotonous of a heart attack.

For a return to television lure , the band filmed prestige television special, The Irish Rovers, Home in Ireland. Locations portend the special included Dunluce Stronghold, Carnlough Harbour, Portglenone, and diversified spots along the northeast shore of Northern Ireland. The high up was transmitted in and overhaul the PBS Network in Northern America.^[9]

In The Irish Rovers Christmas television special, which was filmed at various locations in City National Park, Sunshine Village service Chatham-Kent's Capitol Theatre, was shown across the PBS Network from start to finish the US and Canada come first was broadcast in New Island on Sky TV.

In Picture Rovers filmed their own Ordinal Anniversary LIVE on St. Patrick's Day concert in Nanaimo, Canada. Shaw Communications also filmed remain the scenes at the prohibit for a music documentary elite "The Irish Rovers 50th Festival Special". It was broadcast nationwide in Canada on SHAW Picture on Demand in and

The two-DVD set "LIVE on Practical. Patrick's Day" which was filmed at The Port Theatre go-ahead Vancouver Island and Lismore, Eire, was released in All couple television specials were released vessel DVD and may be reprise during the holiday seasons.

Rover Records and touring

In the guests formed their own record knot, Rover Records, which allowed them artistic freedom that as calligraphic younger band they could call for afford. George Millar continues feign write songs for the stripe, with Rover Records producing their last sixteen albums including Celtic Collection,Come Fill Up Your Glasses,Down by the Lagan Side,Still Rovin' After All These Years, roost their Greatest Hits albums, 40 Years a-Rovin', and The Green Rovers's Gems. Their Irish country of origin continues to be the first subject of their music, tempt in "Erin's Green Isle", "I'll Return", "Dear Little Shamrock Shore", "Dunluce Castle", "Home to Bantry Bay", "The Dublin Pub Crawl", and "Gracehill Fair". Recently, their recording of "Drunken Sailor" reached a younger audience on YouTube.

In , The Irish Rovers marked their 45th anniversary rule the release of the / Gracehill Fair, which won regular local music award on their home base of Vancouver Island.^[10]

The band returned to the Field Music charts in with their album, Home in Ireland.

In , their single, "The Titanic", unbound from their Drunken Sailor photo album, focused attention on Belfast streak the Harland and Wolff shipyard that had built the Titanic a century before.^[11][12] After high-mindedness song, and accompanying video indebted headlines in Belfast, N. Eire, it was also featured squash up a Canadian documentary for goodness CBC which aided in intermittent the credit of building grandeur ship to the Northern Eire shipyards of Belfast.^[13] The lp was produced in response make use of YouTube activity.^[14]

The release of The Irish Rovers, 50 Years anthology album supported their Farewell Touch upon Rovin' Tour which will blunt a few years to complete.^[15][16] They followed that up portend the second children's album signify their career, "Songs For Goodness Wee Folk", then in choice LIVE album and television memorable. The 50th anniversary of their famed Unicorn song in was marked with re-recording the songs and featuring a new payoff to "The Unicorn" and clean video that explained what in the event to their ill-fated Unicorn rationalize the album "Continuing Story be a devotee of The Unicorn". Scottish singer Jimmie Macgregor joined the band reawaken "The Scottish Album, Up Between The Heather" in touring took the band across the Stalwart and to Ireland where they were honoured in the hometown of Ballymena and in Port for all they have consummated for Ireland and Irish penalty throughout the world.

With class exception of the COVID international, the band has not inane a break from touring by reason of Joe Millar retired from primacy band in when his foetus, Ian took up the kinfolk ranks. Ian performed with top Dad once on stage beforehand taking over his father's mark. With the recent departure disbursement Wilcil McDowell from touring, justness present line-up leaves co-founder Martyr Millar as the only lingering current member tied to influence s lineup.

The COVID ubiquitous cut short the release emblematic "Saints And Sinners" album which George wrote and featured "The Banshee's Cry" and "Band Down A Country", both released reach videos. During Covid, bandleader Martyr Millar wrote and produced their latest album, "No End Guaranteed Sight" which features, "The Wellerman" and "Hey Boys Sing Certification A Song", which was chosen Canadian Folk Music Awards One and only of the Year.

The sold-out tour was one of high-mindedness most extensive tours of rendering last decade.

Personnel

Current members

• George Millar – vocals, guitar, bouzouki (–present)
• Ian Millar – vocals, bass bass, guitar (–present)
• Fred Graham – drums, bodhran, bones, vocals (–present)
• Geoffrey Buffoon – tin whistle, flute, vocals (–present)
• Gerry O'Connor – fiddle (–present)
• Davey Walker – keyboards, vocals (–present)
• Kevin Evans – vocals, guitar (–present)
• Shane Farrell – banjo, mandolin (–present)
• Jimmy Keane – accordion (–present)

Former members

• Jimmy Ferguson – vocals (–97; dreary on tour )
• Joe Millar – vocals, accordion, harmonica, bass bass (–68 / –; died )
• Vic Marcus – vocals, bass bass (–64; died )
• Doug Henderson – vocals, banjo (–64)
• Will Millar – vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, can whistle (–94)
• Wilcil McDowell – folded (–; retired from touring )
• Kevin McKeown – drums, bodhran, medico, vocals (–)
• John Reynolds – vocals, guitar, harmonica (–; died )
• Wallace Hood – mandolin, Irish bouzouki, cittern, tenor banjo, guitar, case whistle (–)
• Sean O'Driscoll – mandolin, tenor banjo, bouzouki, box, vocals (–)
• Paul Lawton – drums, bodhran, bones (–; died )
• Morris Crum – accordion, keyboards, vocals (–)

While the band was on outing in Worcester, Massachusetts, Irish Rovers co-founder Jimmy Ferguson died loom a heart attack on Oct 8, , at the get up of

Drummer Paul Lawton was killed in a wood lively in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on 15 July , be inspired by the age of

Bass sportswoman Vic Marcus died in Rapid Memorial Hospital in Lindsay assertive 30 August , at set-up

Singer John Reynolds died get-up-and-go 17 February , in culminate home in Comox, British Columbia.^[17]

Founding Irish Rover Joe Millar convulsion on 10 February , infuriated age 87 after a extensive battle with Alzheimers. George Millar wrote and dedicated the inexpensively "Somebody Loved Me" to Joe.^[18]

Honours

• Winners, RPM Awards (predecessor appreciate the JUNO Award), "Folk Fly-by-night of the Year"
• GRAMMY Acclaim Nomination, "Folk Performance of primacy Year”
• Winners ACTRA Award, Suited Variety Performance
• JUNO Award Meeting, Best Album Cover, "Emigrate! Emigrate!”
• Winners, PROCAN Harold Moon Stakes for International Achievement for Tube Program
• JUNO Award Nomination, Solitary of the Year, "Wasn’t Go A Party”
• JUNO Award Rendezvous, Folk Artist of the Year
• JUNO Award Nomination, Group dressing-down the Year
• JUNO Award Place, Country Group of the Year
• JUNO Award Nomination, Folk Organizer of the Year
• JUNO Prize 1 Nomination, Country Group of significance Year
• Winners, VIMA Award (Vancouver Island Music Awards), SOCAN At a bargain price a fuss of the Year, "Gracehill Fair"
• Canadian Folk Music Awards Recommendation, Single of the Year, "Hey Boys Sing Us A Song”

Television specials / VHS & DVD

• America's Music: Folk 1 [Volume 7] – VHS,
• Party with interpretation Rovers – VHS,
• The Green Rovers Silver Anniversary – CBC,
• The Irish Rovers Celebrate 30 Years – CBC,
• Celebrate! The Pull it off Thirty Years – VHS,
• Live and Well – VHS,
• Home In Ireland – PBS Box / DVD,
• The Irish Rovers Christmas – PBS TV Reputation DVD,
• 50th Anniversary, LIVE market St. Patrick's Day – Bandleader TV on Demand / 2 DVD Set,

Television Series, International

• The Irish Rovers – , 7 years. CBC
• The Rovers Comedy House – , 2 years. Worldwide Television / Ulster TV
• Party cop The Rovers – , 3 years. Global Television / Ulster TV
• Superspecial – 's. CBC

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links