Shay Healy
Shay Healy (29 March 1943 – 9 April 2021)[1][2] was an Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known for his role as host of Nighthawks, a RTÉ Television chat show of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and for composing "What's Another Year", Ireland's winning entry in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest.
Early life
Shay Healy was raised along with his five siblings in
Career
Healy had a varied career, never focusing too intently on any one of his various professional interests. Of his tendency to diversify he once commented: "I know it infuriates some people when you don't pigeonhole yourself, but I don't take on anything that won't stand up to public scrutiny."[5]
Songwriting
Healy first received attention as a performer of his own "songs of social significance" during the 1960s.[6] Later he wrote comedy songs for Billy Connolly,[3] including "The Orient Express-a tale of intrigue and cross dressing", "The Shitkickers Waltz", and "The Country & Western Supersong".[7] Healy achieved his greatest success as a songwriter with "What's Another Year", which won the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest. Over the course of the next 15 years, the song earned him a total of £250,000.[8] In 1983 his song, "Edge Of The Universe", sung by Linda Martin, was the overall winner of the Castlebar Song Contest. Under the name of Crack, he and Dave Pennefather released a parody song called "Silly Fellow", which was about Paul McCartney's arrest and jail experience in Japan.[9] [unreliable source?] Healy and Pennefather also released a parody of Abba's song "Mamma Mia" that they called "Hey C'mere" and credited to Rubbish.[10]
Musical theatre
In 1977, Healy branched into musical theatre with the script, co-written with
Healy was more successful with his musical, The Wiremen, which received its premiere on 4 May 2005 at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre in a production by John McColgan and Moya Doherty that ran for six weeks. The Wiremen tells the story of the introduction of electricity into County Mayo during the 1950s.[13] In March 2010 the show was revived in an amateur production by the Birr Stage Guild.[14]
Broadcasting
Healy joined RTÉ Television in 1963 as a trainee cameraman.[15] Within five years he had moved to the other side of the lens with appearances on programmes such as Twenty Minutes With..., Ballad Sheet and Hoot'nany.
In the summer months of 1988 he hosted a series called
Between 1988 and 1992 Healy hosted
In January 1995, RTÉ terminated Healy's contract.
Among the other TV programmes Healy presented were Reach For The Stars (1971), Hullaballoo (1977), The Birthday Show (1993-1995), Beastly Behaviour (1998-1999), Ireland's Greatest Hits (2001) and A Little Bit Country (2006).[20]
Healy won two Jacob's Awards. He received the first in 1984 for Strawberry Fields Forever, a radio documentary series on the 1960s in Ireland, which he presented and Siobhan McHugh produced. His second award came in 1989 for his television work.
In 2007, Healy joined the judging panel on TG4's talent show, Glór Tíre.
Writing
In the early 1960s, Healy became Folk Correspondent for Spotlight, an Irish pop music weekly, and he continued to write for the magazine until its demise in the mid-1970s.[21] He wrote a weekly column for the Irish Daily Mail.
The Stunt is the title of Healy's debut novel, published in 1992. It deals with the Irish rock scene and was described by one reviewer as "a more truthful... representation (of) the Irish music scene than The Commitments".[22] His second novel, Green Card Blues, is set among the illegal Irish immigrant community in New York City.
In 2005 On The Road, Healy's memoir of his life in showbusiness, was published.
Personal life
Healy married Dymphna Errity from Landen Road, Ballyfermot at Our Lady of the Assumption Church Ballyfermot on 5 September 1967.[23] They were married for almost 50 years up to Dymphna's death on 10 July 2017.[24] They had two sons, Oisin and Fionain.[25]
In 2004, Healy was diagnosed with the degenerative disorder, Parkinson's disease.[26]
Healy died on 9 April 2021, aged 78.[1]
Publications
- The Stunt, (O'Brien Press, 1992, ISBN 978-0-86278-322-8)
- Green Card Blues, (O'Brien Press, 1994, ISBN 978-0-86278-386-0)
- Beastly Jokes, (O'Brien Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-86278-923-7)
- More Beastly Jokes, (O'Brien Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-86278-924-4)
- On The Road, (O'Brien Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-86278-949-7)
References
- ^ a b Crowley, Sinéad (10 April 2021). "Songwriter and broadcaster Shay Healy dies aged 78". Rip.ie. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Death Notice of Shay HEALY". Rip.ie. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b The Irish Times, "Shay Healy", 26 July 1980
- ^ On The Road, p. 21
- ^ a b The Irish Times, "Success in a small way", 7 March 1998
- ^ The Irish Times, "Dublin Folk and Ballad Concert", 10 October 1966
- ^ "The O'Brien Press - On the Road - From Tara to Tiananmen Square by way of Chuck Berry By Shay Healy". Obrien.ie. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ a b c The Irish Times, "THE MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST: Shay Healy", 28 December 1995
- ^ "Irish Rock Discography: Shay Healy". Irishrock.org. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ "Rubbish - Hey C'mere". 45cat.com. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ The Irish Times, "'The King' at the Cork Opera House", 18 October 1977
- ^ The Irish Times, "Broadway? No, try Dundalk", 14 January 1989
- ^ The Irish Times, "Singing power to the people", 7 May 2005
- ^ "Offaly Express, March 18, 2010". Offalyexpress.ie. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ The Irish Times, "Countdowns, cameras and orgies", 21 December 1991
- ^ On The Road, p. 172
- ^ The Irish Times, "Obscure hints on 'Nighthawks' led to Haughey's darkest hour", 25 January 1992
- ^ Irish Examiner, "Telephone bugs that toppled a Taoiseach", 10 May 2001
- ^ The Irish Times, "RTE makes home-produced television drama 'a priority'", 9 August 1994
- ^ "Healy, Shay". Rip.ie. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ On The Road, pp. 23–4
- ^ The Irish Times, "Live rock", 6 March 1993
- ^ On The Road, p. 32
- ^ "Death of Dymphna Healy wife of colleague Shay Healy". Superannrte.ie. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ Sunday Independent, "What's another decade?", 21 December 2003
- ^ Sunday Independent, "Presenting with Parkinson's", 18 December 2005
External links
- Official web site
- Shay Healy discography at Discogs
- Shay Healy at IMDb