BIO
ANDY IRVINE is one of the great Irish singers, his voice one of a handful of truly great ones that gets to the very soul of Ireland. He has been hailed as “a tradition in himself”.
Musician, singer, songwriter, Andy has maintained his individual performing skills throughout his over 60-year career.
Andy has been at the helm of legendary bands like Sweeney’s Men in the mid 60s, to the enormous success of Planxty in the 70s, and then from Andy Irvine & Paul Brady to Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD and Usher’s Island. Andy has been a world music pioneer and an icon for traditional music and musicians.
His repertoire consists of Irish traditional songs, dexterous Balkan dance tunes and a compelling canon of his own self-penned songs with Irish bouzoukis, mandolas and harmonicas.
As a soloist, Andy fills the role of the archetypal troubadour with a show and a travelling lifestyle that reflect his lifelong influence – Woody Guthrie.
Andy received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2018 and he has been bestowed an honorary degree of doctor of Literature by University College Dublin in 2022.
Quotes:
“Andy’s singing is pure emotion. His playing is both delicate and energetic. Andy invented the interlaces of bouzouki, mandolin and mandola in Irish music. He’s often been mimicked, but never equalled. Andy Irvine is Woody Guthrie’s representative on earth.” – Hot Press
“His contribution and influence will be long lauded when the rest of us are long gone.” – RTÉ
“Andy is most assuredly a worthy heir to the mantle of Woody Guthrie.” – WBRS Boston, MA
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/-n0UwhJwQ7U
(Never Tire of the Road / Andy Irvine with Rens van der Zalm in Australia 2011)