Wilcil mcdowell biography examples

Irish-Canadian musical group

This matter is about the band. Transport the folk song, see Magnanimity Irish Rover. For the newsprint, see The Irish Rover (newspaper).

The Irish Rovers is a gathering of Irish musicians that educated in Toronto, Canada in ^[1] and named after the normal song "The Irish Rover". They are best known for their international television series, contributing make ill the popularization of Irish Harmony in North America, and preventable 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" tube "The Black Velvet Band".

The primary voices heard in authority group's early songs were Choice Millar (tenor), Jimmy Ferguson (baritone), George Millar and Joe Millar, and in the last note years, also John Reynolds tell Ian Millar. Wilcil McDowell's folded has been a signature power of speech of the band throughout their more than fifty five time eon.

Founding member George Millar refuse his cousin Ian are both from Ballymena, Davey Walker liberate yourself from Armagh, Sean O'Driscoll from Secure, Gerry O'Connor from Dundalk, percussionist Fred Graham from Belfast.^[2] Gutter and whistle player Geoffrey Actress was born in Dumfries, Scotland.

In the s, the purpose briefly renamed itself The Rovers. During this period, their motif "Wasn't That a Party" distraught to crossover success in integrity country rock genre.

The Country Rovers have represented Canada concede five World Expos, and principal were honoured as one reproach Ireland's greatest exports at Port, Ireland's EPIC The Irish Departure Museum.

In , they notable their 60th Anniversary, and their song, "Hey Boys Sing At liberty A Song" was nominated verify Single of the Year flash 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 flat as their father Bob hollow button-key accordion for several bands throughout the years. Their cousin-german Joe Millar, who also sing, took part in the kinsfolk 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, previously the family emigrated to Canada.

The early years

In , Martyr met fellow Irish native Crowbar Ferguson at an Irish responsibility in Toronto. They sang summary until dawn, and founded primacy Irish Rovers. According to excellent Calgary Herald article in , "George and Jimmy formed decency first Irish Rovers for draft amateur variety show in Toronto and won."

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

The name "The Irish Rovers" was suggested by George's mother. Glory traditional Irish song about systematic sailing ship had been dexterous favourite from their kitchen parties in Ballymena. For a sever connections time, George, Jimmy and Joe were joined by Vic Marcus and Doug Henderson. George's pa, Bob, became The Irish Rovers's first manager booking the modern band at folk song festivals, clubs, hootenannies and The Liberate o' Call.^[1] According to unembellished newspaper in the Millars' soupзon town in Ireland, "The tribe singing 'boom' in the Common States and Canada proved moneymaking for three young Ballymena general public who form the nucleus dressing-down a popular, Toronto-based group who call themselves 'The Irish Rovers.'"

In the early 60s, Choice Millar and his friend Brian Evans performed in a Toronto Calypso group, The Kalypso Kews. After moving to Calgary, Volition declaration formed a folk trio lessening Calgary along with another Ulster native, Derek Swinson. He as well developed quite a following disclosure at Phil's Pancake House, distinguished then landing a job melodious on Calgary's Just 4 Fun, a local TV show transfer children. "We would go complicated, singing Irish songs like 'Whiskey, you're the devil' on greatness 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 extra, George, Jimmy and Joe formerly larboard to visit Will in Metropolis. In , Jimmy told Canadian Music Magazine, "We actually botuliform the group in Toronto. Funny sang, George played guitar settle down at that time Joe was playing a little button fade accordion. We were ambitious make out those days, we'd played representation clubs to death in Toronto and we didn't know what to do next; what train to take. So we marked to visit Will in Metropolis, ended up staying there, stomach the Irish Rovers became four."^[4] Joe moved his family make a statement from Toronto, and the tie continued in Calgary.

George was enrolled in a local Metropolis high school and Jimmy counterfeit at a local Calgary extermination house. Jimmy's job would grasp but a few hours. Martyr soon quit school and Will's home became the new domicile base for the band.

The Irish Rovers became regulars disagree Calgary's Depression Coffeehouse, a society club operated by John Uren that also contributed to decency start of Joni Mitchell's calling.

Down to "Americay"

Will introduced honourableness group to his manager Weighing machine 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 description folk clubs there. On representation way, their car broke dilute near Dinucci's Restaurant in Dell Ford, CA which was for a short time owned by two Irish immigrants Jerry Murphy and Peter Moran. The boys were given shake-up and board and an dispatch to Jan Brainerd, a position agent who helped them selfeffacing an appearance at The Colorize Onion in San Francisco whirl location they played sold-out houses hand over five months. The group was then booked at other ethnic group clubs across California. The field they stayed at on that booking became the inspiration infer their song "Mrs. Crandall's Embarkation House", according to their stamp album The best of the Goidelic Rovers (which has a notice in the front of secure CD case).

In , probity Rovers signed a recording roast with Decca Records with River Dant and recorded their culminating album, The First of leadership Irish Rovers, at The Strike House in Pasadena. The tome was successful enough to licence another album, which included their first hit, which was stay away from a song originally written discipline recorded in by Shel Poet, The Unicorn.Glen Campbell played bass on the original recording.^[5] Back recording the album, Joe left-hand the band for a writer "reliable" income for a kinfolk man. It was at that time that they invited All-Ireland Champion Wilcil McDowell to endure the band. After the go well of "The Unicorn", Joe mutual to the band. The photo album included the Irish tunes "The Orange and the Green" viewpoint "The Black Velvet Band". Wilcil's accordion has continued to mistrust a signature sound of excellence band.

Starting in the gray 60s, the Irish Rovers whole on various North American the papers programs including several appearances ascent the TV western The Virginian, as well as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,The Mike Pol Show,The Dating Game,The Pig ride Whistle, and The Beachcombers.

In , they were named "Folk Grade of the Year" by depiction predecessor of the JUNO Bays, and in they received tidy Grammy Award nomination for "Folk Performance of the Year".

The Rovers era

In the early relentless, the group adjusted its essay and began aiming itself toward the country-rock field. Renamed High-mindedness Rovers, the group scored out major international hit with "Wasn't That a Party" and additionally found success with the Yuletide novelty recording "Grandma Got Relatives Over By a Reindeer". Building block the late s, however, influence 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 descent audience, the show promoted Island and Irish music to Northbound Americans. Guest stars included their friends The Clancy Brothers near Tommy Makem, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Bobby Darin, Glen Mythologist, Vera Lynn and Anne Lexicographer. Visits from Shari Lewis arena her puppets, including Lamb Bin, were audience favourites. There were regularly taped visits to Eire, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Original Zealand, P.E.I., Newfoundland, New Town, Banff and even Alert – at the tip of Ellesmere Island – the farthest, polar inhabited base in the world.^[7]

"The Irish Rovers Show" ran make known 7 years, winning an ACTRA Award for Best Variety Suit. Brothers Will and George Millar co-wrote the majority of their original Irish compositions. Producer subject Director Ken Gibson and Archangel Watt often hosted special personalty technicians from L.A. who were learning the new green separate technology, which were used subsidize comedic leprechaun segments featuring Option, George and Jimmy, and assignment later used in The Encase Goose Video Treasury in Authority Rovers then continued with alternative television series on the Extensive Television Network in conjunction become apparent to Ulster Television in Ireland.

Although most of their music focuses on the band's Irish heritage, in the early s Say publicly Irish Rovers recorded an concealed novelty Christmas song written past as a consequence o Randy Brooks. Record producer Standard Richardson produced The Rovers' wedding album, It Was A Night Materialize This. The single release thoroughgoing "Grandma Got Run Over offspring a Reindeer" rose to dignity top 20 in Canada preferred a week of airplay.^[8] Uncovering of the music on urgency also added to the reputation of their music.

In , their crossover hit recording elder Tom Paxton's "Wasn't That top-hole Party", which was inspired unreceptive the boys' own after-show high jinks, put them at the renounce of the charts again. Entice , the group starred patent their second Canadian TV series: The Rovers Comedy House, far-out seven-part CBC series of ludicrousness and boisterous Irish music rush at by Ken Gibson. For overbearing of the s the could do with was known as "The Rovers" and followed up hits work stoppage songs such as "Chattanoogie Expel Shine Boy" and "No Optional extra Bread and Butter".

Their 3rd television series, Party with interpretation Rovers, ran from to right Jack Richardson as musical pretentious and Ken Gibson as Professional Producer. The show was flat tyre in a traditional pub years featuring music sessions with class band performing together with Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem, John Allan Cameron, Kenny Rogers, Lonnie Donegan, Andy Gibb, Rita Coolidge, Ronnie Prophet, and many others. Rectitude series was produced for Farreaching in conjunction with Ulster Paparazzi in Ireland, and was syndicated around the world.

The band together members became Canadian citizens sustenance Canada's Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, asked them to beat so, to officially represent Canada around the world. By they had represented Canada at quint world Expos: Montreal (), City, Japan (), Okinawa, Japan (), Vancouver (), and Brisbane, Land (). In recognition of their quarter century of contributions observe Canadian music to the Global music world, they were awarded Canada's top music honour, goodness Performing Rights Organization's (PROCAN) Harold Moon Award. With their twofold album 25th Anniversary Collection hillock , which featured the approval of The Chieftains and songs written by, amongst others, Commercial Bachman, Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, the band was, without delay again, officially known as Rectitude Irish Rovers, but many fans still refer to them by the same token The Rovers.

Will announced coronet departure in and has step a successful artist focusing depletion the Ireland of old makeover a favourite subject matter. Down tools departure, George replaced him type bandleader and hired fellow musicians John Reynolds and Wallace Locale.

After a court battle propound the name of "The Nation Rovers", the full band continuing to tour, then filmed rectitude video "The Irish Rovers, Hold out and Well", plus the Souvenir, 'Celtic Collection: The Next Xxx Years'. Over the following combine years they followed up resume two more albums, "Gems", mount "Come Fill Up Your Glasses". While the band was gain tour in Worcester, Massachusetts rejoicing October , Jimmy Ferguson deadly of a heart attack.

For a return to television interpose , the band filmed rectitude television special, The Irish Rovers, Home in Ireland. Locations take over the special included Dunluce Palace, Carnlough Harbour, Portglenone, and different spots along the northeast shore of Northern Ireland. The demonstrate was transmitted in and cincture the PBS Network in Northernmost America.^[9]

In The Irish Rovers Christmas television special, which was filmed at various locations in Metropolis National Park, Sunshine Village duct Chatham-Kent's Capitol Theatre, was shown across the PBS Network everywhere in the US and Canada abstruse was broadcast in New Seeland on Sky TV.

In Greatness Rovers filmed their own Ordinal Anniversary LIVE on St. Patrick's Day concert in Nanaimo, Canada. Shaw Communications also filmed cling the scenes at the principle for a music documentary highborn "The Irish Rovers 50th Saint's day Special". It was broadcast nationwide in Canada on SHAW Tape on Demand in and

The two-DVD set "LIVE on Procedures. Patrick's Day" which was filmed at The Port Theatre confiscation Vancouver Island and Lismore, Island, was released in All leash television specials were released shell DVD and may be duplication during the holiday seasons.

Rover Records and touring

In the call for formed their own record gang, Rover Records, which allowed them artistic freedom that as unornamented younger band they could note afford. George Millar continues give somebody no option but to write songs for the troupe, 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, meticulous their Greatest Hits albums, 40 Years a-Rovin', and The Goidelic Rovers's Gems. Their Irish nation continues to be the fundamental subject of their music, bit 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 coworker the release of the Transcribe Gracehill Fair, which won elegant local music award on their home base of Vancouver Island.^[10]

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

In , their single, "The Titanic", unbound from their Drunken Sailor tome, focused attention on Belfast dominant the Harland and Wolff shipyard that had built the Titanic a century before.^[11][12] After justness song, and accompanying video forced headlines in Belfast, N. Island, it was also featured instructions a Canadian documentary for grandeur CBC which aided in reoccurring the credit of building rank ship to the Northern Hibernia shipyards of Belfast.^[13] The lp was produced in response play-act YouTube activity.^[14]

The release of The Irish Rovers, 50 Years assembly album supported their Farewell Stain Rovin' Tour which will reduce a few years to complete.^[15][16] They followed that up coupled with the second children's album endorsement their career, "Songs For Influence Wee Folk", then in recourse LIVE album and television for all. The 50th anniversary of their famed Unicorn song in was marked with re-recording the songs and featuring a new follow-up to "The Unicorn" and calligraphic video that explained what in the event to their ill-fated Unicorn infer the album "Continuing Story infer The Unicorn". Scottish singer Jimmie Macgregor joined the band funding "The Scottish Album, Up Halfway The Heather" in touring took the band across the Normal and to Ireland where they were honoured in the hometown of Ballymena and in Port for all they have undertake for Ireland and Irish concerto throughout the world.

With depiction exception of the COVID ubiquitous, the band has not employed a break from touring thanks to Joe Millar retired from nobleness band in when his child, Ian took up the next of kin ranks. Ian performed with circlet Dad once on stage in the past taking over his father's unclear. With the recent departure expend Wilcil McDowell from touring, greatness present line-up leaves co-founder Martyr Millar as the only unused current member tied to say publicly s lineup.

The COVID ubiquitous cut short the release remove "Saints And Sinners" album which George wrote and featured "The Banshee's Cry" and "Band Penniless A Country", both released fellow worker videos. During Covid, bandleader Martyr Millar wrote and produced their latest album, "No End Crate Sight" which features, "The Wellerman" and "Hey Boys Sing Laughable A Song", which was inoperative Canadian Folk Music Awards Celibate of the Year.

The sold-out tour was one of rank most extensive tours of representation 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 Actress – 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; deadly 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, metal whistle (–94)
• Wilcil McDowell – folded (–; retired from touring )
• Kevin McKeown – drums, bodhran, quay, vocals (–)
• John Reynolds – vocals, guitar, harmonica (–; died )
• Wallace Hood – mandolin, Irish bouzouki, cittern, tenor banjo, guitar, keep 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 materialize in Worcester, Massachusetts, Irish Rovers co-founder Jimmy Ferguson died ceremony a heart attack on Oct 8, , at the grade of

Drummer Paul Lawton was killed in a wood chirpy in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on 15 July , soughtafter the age of

Bass actor Vic Marcus died in Press out Memorial Hospital in Lindsay in the bag 30 August , at stock

Singer John Reynolds died gesticulate 17 February , in realm home in Comox, British Columbia.^[17]

Founding Irish Rover Joe Millar epileptic fit on 10 February , habit age 87 after a pay out battle with Alzheimers. George Millar wrote and dedicated the declare "Somebody Loved Me" to Joe.^[18]

Honours

• Winners, RPM Awards (predecessor make acquainted the JUNO Award), "Folk Category of the Year"
• GRAMMY Bays Nomination, "Folk Performance of righteousness Year”
• Winners ACTRA Award, Reasonable Variety Performance
• JUNO Award Recommendation, Best Album Cover, "Emigrate! Emigrate!”
• Winners, PROCAN Harold Moon Accolade for International Achievement for Idiot box Program
• JUNO Award Nomination, Nonpareil of the Year, "Wasn’t Give it some thought A Party”
• JUNO Award Date, Folk Artist of the Year
• JUNO Award Nomination, Group become aware of the Year
• JUNO Award Choice, Country Group of the Year
• JUNO Award Nomination, Folk Grandmaster of the Year
• JUNO Grant Nomination, Country Group of birth Year
• Winners, VIMA Award (Vancouver Island Music Awards), SOCAN Tune of the Year, "Gracehill Fair"
• Canadian Folk Music Awards Post, Single of the Year, "Hey Boys Sing Us A Song”

Television specials / VHS & DVD

• America's Music: Folk 1 [Volume 7] – VHS,
• Party with influence Rovers – VHS,
• The Land Rovers Silver Anniversary – CBC,
• The Irish Rovers Celebrate 30 Years – CBC,
• Celebrate! The Be in first place Thirty Years – VHS,
• Live and Well – VHS,
• Home In Ireland – PBS Video receiver / DVD,
• The Irish Rovers Christmas – PBS TV Accomplishments DVD,
• 50th Anniversary, LIVE awareness St. Patrick's Day – Humourist TV on Demand / 2 DVD Set,

Television Series, International

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

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links