Luke Kelly
Luke Kelly | |
---|---|
Irish folk | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instrument(s) | Vocals, banjo, guitar |
Years active | 1962–1984 |
Luke Kelly (17 November 1940 – 30 January 1984) was an Irish singer,
Early life
Luke Kelly was born to Luke Kelly and Julia Fleming, a working class couple, in Sheriff Street, Dublin.[2] His maternal grandmother Elizabeth McDonald, who emigrated to Ireland from Scotland, lived with the Kelly family until her death in 1953. Kelly's father, who was also named Luke, was wounded as a child when a detachment of soldiers from the King's Own Scottish Borderers opened fire on a Dublin crowd on 26 July 1914 in what became known as the Bachelor's Walk massacre.[3][4] He was taken to Jervis Street Hospital with a bullet wound to the lung and, although not expected to recover, he overcame his injuries.[5]
After growing up, Kelly's father worked for most of his adult life at a
Kelly left school at thirteen and after a number of years of odd-jobbing, he went to England in 1958.[7] Working at steel fixing with his brother Paddy on a building site in Wolverhampton, he was apparently sacked after asking for higher pay.[8] He worked a number of odd jobs, including a period as a vacuum cleaner salesman.[9] Describing himself as a beatnik, he travelled Northern England in search of work, summarising his life in this period as "cleaning lavatories, cleaning windows, cleaning railways, but very rarely cleaning my face".[3]
Musical beginnings
Kelly had been interested in music during his teenage years: he regularly attended
The first folk club he came across was in the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne in early 1960.[10] Having already acquired the use of a banjo, he started memorising songs. In Leeds he brought his banjo to sessions in McReady's pub. The folk revival was under way in England: at the centre of it was Ewan MacColl who scripted a radio programme called Ballads and Blues. A revival in the skiffle genre also injected a certain energy into folk singing at the time.
Kelly started
Kelly befriended Sean Mulready in Birmingham and lived in his home for a period.[12] Mulready was a teacher who was forced from his job in Dublin because of his communist beliefs.[8] Mulready had strong music links; a sister, Kathleen Moynihan was a founder member of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and he was related by marriage to Festy Conlon, the County Galway whistle player. Mulready's brother-in-law, Ned Stapleton, taught Kelly "The Rocky Road to Dublin".[8] During this period he studied literature and politics under the tutelage of Mulready, his wife Mollie, and Marxist classicist George Derwent Thomson: Kelly later stated that his interest in music grew parallel to his interest in politics.[3]
Kelly bought his first banjo, which had five strings and a long neck, and played it in the style of
Luke Kelly was by now active in the Connolly Association, a left-wing grouping strongest among the emigres in England, and he also joined the Young Communist League: he toured Irish pubs playing his set and selling the Connolly Association's newspaper The Irish Democrat. By 1962 George Derwent Thomson had offered him the opportunity to further his educational and political development by attending university in Prague. However, Kelly turned down the offer in favour of pursuing his career in folk music.[3] He was also to start frequenting Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger's Singer Club in London.
The Dubliners
In 1961 there was a
A concert John Molloy organised in the Hibernian Hotel led to his "Ballad Tour of Ireland" with the Ronnie Drew Ballad Group (billed in one town as the Ronnie Drew Ballet Group).[14][8] This tour led to the Abbey Tavern and the Royal Marine Hotel and then to jam-packed sessions in the Embankment, Tallaght. Ciarán Bourke joined the group, followed later by John Sheahan. They renamed themselves The Dubliners at Kelly's suggestion, as he was reading James Joyce's book of short stories, entitled Dubliners, at the time.[15] Kelly was the leading vocalist for the group's eponymous debut album in 1964, which included his rendition of "The Rocky Road to Dublin". Barney McKenna later noted that Kelly was the only singer he'd heard sing it to the rhythm it was played on the fiddle.[3]
In 1964 Luke Kelly left the group for nearly two years and was replaced by
Bobby Lynch left The Dubliners, John Sheahan and Kelly rejoined. They recorded an album in the Gate Theatre, Dublin, played the Cambridge Folk Festival and recorded Irish Night Out, a live album with, among others, exiles Margaret Barry, Michael Gorman and Jimmy Powers. They also played a concert in the National Stadium in Dublin with Pete Seeger as special guest.[6] They were on the road to success: Top Twenty hits with "Seven Drunken Nights" and "The Black Velvet Band", The Ed Sullivan Show in 1968 and a tour of New Zealand and Australia. The ballad boom in Ireland was becoming increasingly commercialised with bar and pub owners building ever larger venues for pay-in performances. Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger on a visit to Dublin expressed concern to Kelly about his drinking.[citation needed]
As an actor, Kelly performed in the 1969 Dublin Theatre Festival, playing the role of Sergeant Kite in The Mullingar Recruits. He later played King Herod in several runs of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar at the Gaiety Theatre.[18]
Christy Moore and Kelly became acquainted in the 1960s.[19] During his Planxty days, Moore got to know Kelly well.[citation needed] In 1972 The Dubliners themselves performed in Richard's Cork Leg, based on the "incomplete works" of Brendan Behan. In 1973, Kelly took to the stage performing as King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar.[14]
The arrival of a new manager for The Dubliners,
His interpretations of “
Personal life
Luke Kelly married Deirdre O'Connell in 1965, but they separated in the early 1970s.[7] Kelly spent the last eight years of his life living with his partner Madeleine Seiler, who is from Germany.[7]
Final years
Kelly's health deteriorated in the 1970s. Kelly himself spoke about his problems with alcohol.
After another operation he spent Christmas with his family but was taken into hospital again in the New Year, where he died on 30 January 1984.[11] Kelly's funeral in Whitehall attracted thousands of mourners from across Ireland.[3] His gravestone in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, bears the inscription: Luke Kelly – Dubliner.[1]
Legacy
Luke Kelly's legacy and contributions to Irish music and culture have been described as "iconic" and have been captured in a number of documentaries and anthologies.[26]
The influence of his Scottish grandmother was influential in Kelly's help in preserving important traditional Scottish songs such as "Mormond Braes", the Canadian folk song "Peggy Gordon", Robert Burns' "Parcel of Rogues", "Tibbie Dunbar", Hamish Henderson's "Freedom Come-All-Ye", and Thurso Berwick's "Scottish Breakaway".[citation needed]
The Ballybough Bridge in the north inner city of Dublin was renamed the Luke Kelly Bridge,[2] and in November 2004 Dublin City Council voted unanimously to erect a bronze statue of Luke Kelly.[27][28] However, the Dublin Docklands Authority subsequently stated that it could no longer afford to fund the statue. In 2010, councillor Christy Burke of Dublin City Council appealed to members of the music community including Bono, Phil Coulter and Enya to help build it.[29]
Paddy Reilly recorded a tribute to Kelly[30] entitled "The Dublin Minstrel". It featured on his Gold And Silver Years, Celtic Collections and the Essential Paddy Reilly CD's. The Dubliners recorded the song on their Live at Vicar Street DVD/CD. The song was composed by Declan O'Donoghue, the Racing Correspondent of The Irish Sun.[31]
At Christmas 2005 writer-director
In September 1988 a monument was erected to commemorate Kelly in the Larkhill area of Whitehall, where he had lived.[33]
Two statues of Kelly were unveiled in Dublin in January 2019, to mark the 35th anniversary of his death.[34] One, a life-size seated bronze by John Coll, is on South King Street. The second sculpture, a marble portrait head by Vera Klute, is on Sheriff Street. The Klute sculpture was vandalised on several occasions in 2019 and 2020, in each case being restored by graffiti-removal specialists.[35][36]
Discography
Compilation albums
Year | Album details | Irish Album Chart
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | The Collection
|
1 | ||
1999 | Working Class Hero
|
10 | ||
2004 | The Best Of
|
2 | ||
2005 | The Performer
|
14 | ||
2007 | Working Class Hero
|
33 | ||
2010 | The Definitive Collection
|
7 |
Singles
Year | Single details | Irish Singles Chart | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | The Auld Triangle with The Dubliners
|
80 |
DVDs
Year | Album details | Irish DVD Chart | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | The Performer
|
1 |
References
- ^ a b c Senan James Fox (30 January 2014). "Remembering Luke Kelly 30 years on". The Irish Post. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ ISBN 9780862784683.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Burtenshaw, Ronan (17 March 2018). "Ireland's Red Troubadour". Jacobin. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ "Duffy's book tells the forgotten stories of 40 children Rising killed". Irish Independent. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Luke, I Am Your Father". broadsheet.ie. 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b Geraghty, Des (1994). Luke Kelly: A Memoir. Dublin, Ireland the best place in the world: Basement Press. pp. 18–20.
- ^ a b c "Profiles - Luke Kelly". RTÉ. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
Though Luke left school at thirteen, he worked a variety of jobs before moving to England in 1958
- ^ ISBN 9781443843805.
- ^ "The gospel according to Luke". Irish Times. 9 October 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Folk: Jez Lowe on Newcastle's legendary Bridge Hotel". BBC. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ a b c "Flashback 1984: Dubliner's frontman Luke Kelly passes away". Irish Independent. 31 January 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ISBN 9781847184177.
- ^ "The Irish Ballad Boom of the 1960s". Tradfolkireland.com. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ^ a b c "Luke Kelly remembered: A force of nature on stage". Irish Examiner. 24 January 2014.
- ^ Nick Guida. "The Dubliners 1962–1966: It's the Dubliners". Itsthedubliners.com. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- ^ "The Story so far... The Dubliners' History". theDubliners.org. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ "Veteran communist dedicated to his cause". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- .
- ^ "Christy Moore Biography". Christymoore.com. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
Across the '60's I'd heard [...] Luke Kelly solo, and then I began to be influenced by the British folk revival
- ^ "Phil Coulter reveals his anguish at son's Down's syndrome". Belfast Telegraph. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "With Luke Kelly badgering me, I had to write grown-up songs". Irish Independent. 31 March 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ^ "Luke Kelly remembered: A force of nature on stage". Irish Examiner. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
Kelly [...] rarely performed 'Scorn Not His Simplicity' — one of his most famous songs, penned by Phil Coulter about his Down syndrome son — on stage
- ^ "On Raglan Road exhibition - Luke Kelly Sings". RTÉ Archives. RTÉ. 1979. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
Luke Kelly explains how he met Patrick Kavanagh in The Bailey pub in Dublin. During this encounter Kavanagh told him he had a song for him.
- ^ "The left-wing firebrand who gave us some of our most popular tunes". Independent News & Media. 1 February 2015.
Luke Kelly of The Dubliners was the most accomplished vehicle for MacColl's [political] material
- ^ ISBN 9780141930039.
- ^ "People were full of praise for RTE's documentary on Luke Kelly". Irish Independent. 5 July 2016.
- ^ "Council votes to erect Luke Kelly statue". RTÉ.ie. 2 November 2004. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ "Ahern lends support to Kelly memorial". TheStage.co.uk. 31 December 2004.
- ^ "Luke Kelly statue falls victim to recession". Ramblinghouse.org. 1 December 2010. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012.
- ^ Paddy Reilly The Ultimate Songs Experience 1999 rmg CTCCD 006
- ^ "Tune Req: Dublin Minstrel Boy (Paddy Reilly)". mudcat.org. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ "Luke Kelly documentary on RTÉ heavily praised". Irish Mirror. 4 July 2016.
- ^ "Funding allocated for commemoration of Luke Kelly memorial". 27 January 2018.
- ^ "Two new statues of Luke Kelly to be unveiled in Dublin". RTÉ News. 22 January 2019.
- ^ "Vandalism of Kelly statue was one-off - artist". Independent.ie. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "Dublin City Council reviewing how to protect Luke Kelly statue". RTÉ News. RTÉ. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Nick Guida. "The Dubliners: The Luke Kelly Discography". Itsthedubliners.com. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ "Luke Kelly - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ "GFK Chart-Track". Chart-track.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
Bibliography
- Luke Kelly: a Memoir, ISBN 1-85594-090-6
- Ar Bhruacha na Life, Des Geraghty, – 23-5-07 135585 www.tg4.ie – En sub.wmv (Déanann Des Geraghty, fear amhrán agus feadóige, ceiliúradh ar an lucht ceoil i mBaile Átha Cliath).
External links
- Media related to Luke Kelly (musician) at Wikimedia Commons