No matter when you are born, music is a way to define generations. From rock and roll to modern pop, music speaks to the current zeitgeist. What you may not realize is that many of the musicians you hear on the radio or in popular media actually have Celtic roots and influences. A few may surprise you!
Donna Lewis
Donna Lewis is most widely known for her 1996 single, “I
Love You Always Forever.” The singer hails from Cardiff, Wales. “I Love You
Always Forever” was the first song to receive a million spins on American
radio. It is also the third-best-selling song in Atlantic Records’ history. The
song was featured on her first album. Lewis went on to release six albums total
over the span of her career so far. She is also an Ambassador for the Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer walk in Central Park.
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol, a Northern Irish-Scottish band, is most known
for their song, “Chasing Cars.” The band formed in Dundee, Scotland in 1994.
While they had released music previously, “Chasing Cars” launched the band to
international fame. The band has released a total of eight albums so far since
its formation.
Del Amitri
Del Amitri formed in Scotland in 1980. The band aspired to
be like The Feelies, The Cramps, the B52s, Joy Division, and Orange Juice. They have been
through numerous roster changes through the years. They are known for their
song, “Roll To Me,” and have released seven studio albums, including one as
recent as 2021. Their discography also includes four compilation albums and two
live albums.
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a trio of brothers from the Isle of Mann.
They are known for their music during the disco era. Over the course of their
career, they released more than 25 albums, with one of their most popular songs
being “Staying Alive.” They also contributed music to the “Saturday Night
Fever” soundtrack in 1977.
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band. They formed
in the late 1960s. The 1977 album, “Rumours,” is one of the highest selling
albums of all time. They are known for theirs hits such as “Don’t Stop Thinking
About Tomorrow,” Gypsy,” and “Rhiannon.”
Mick Fleetwood was born in Cornwall. Aside from albums he recorded with
Fleetwood Mac, he also has solo albums.
Tom Jones
Singer Tom Jones
was born in Wales on June 7, 1940. He quit school at the age of 15 to work
manual jobs, performing music in clubs. He married at the age of 17 and was
signed to Decca Records. Over the course of his career, which has spanned over
five decades, he became known for songs such as “Delilah” and “It’s Not Unusual.”
Today, his career is still going strong and is still receiving excellent
reviews of his music.
Duffy
Singer Aimée Anne Duffy, known professionally as Duffy, was
born in Wales on June 23, 1984. She is most known for her song, “Mercy.” Duffy
entered the music scene in 2003 when she was invited to appear on the TV show
“Wawffactor.” In 2004, she released a Welsh three-song extended play titled “Aimée
Anne Duffy.” Duffy is currently on a hiatus since she was attacked and held
hostage, but she may be releasing a garage remix of “Mercy” in the near future,
according to her social media.
Badfinger
Badfinger was a rock band that formed in Swansea, Wales, in
1961. They were initially called the Iveys, but they changed their name after
working with the Beatles on their song, “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
That song was initially called “Bad Finger Boogie.” Badfinger is known for
their song, “Day After Day,” as well as other songs from the early 1970s.
Between 1970 and 1972, the band had four consecutive worldwide hits.
Cranberries
The Cranberries are a band from Ireland. They formed in 1989
in Limerick. They are known for their songs “Linger,” “Dreams,” and “Zombie.”
The band was made up of singer/songwriter Dolores O’Riordan, co-songwriter and
lead guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler.
O’Riordan passed away suddenly in 2018, making the band’s latest album the
band’s last.
Roger Taylor
Roger Taylor is best known as the drummer for Queen.
Although he was born in Norfolk, England on July 26, 1949, he grew up in
Cornwall. He was educated at Truro
School and became a mainstay of many popular Cornish bands of the Sixties,
including The Reaction. While in college studying dentistry before switching to
biology (he received a BSc in this field), he formed a band called Smile. The
band became Queen in 1971 when John Deacon and Freddie Mercury joined Taylor
and May.
Hozier
Hozier is a current popular artist who was born on March 17,
1990, in Ireland. His mother is an artist and his father is a former musician.
He is most known for his songs, “Too Sweet” and “Take Me To Church.” His full
name is Andrew Hozier-Byrne. He taught himself how to play guitar, and by the
age of 15, he was writing his own songs. He dropped out of college to pursue
his music career, with his debut album being released in 2014.
Van Morrison
Van Morrison was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1945. He was
the only child. His mom was a musician and tap dancer as a child and his dad was
a shipyard electrician. He is best known for his songs, “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Moondance,”
though he recently came out with a new album called “Remembering Now.” His
music career began when he was a teenager in the 1950s and has been going
strong ever since. He has been successful both within the UK and around the
world.
U2
U2 formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1976. The band’s cofounder,
Larry Mullen, posted a “musicians wanted” ad on a notice board at Mount Temple
School in Dublin. That September, a group of musicians met in Mullen’s kitchen,
and the rest is history. Their first single was released in May of 1980, and
their debut album came out in October of that year. Since then, they have had
major success. Well-known U2 songs include “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m
Looking For,” “With Or Without You,” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”
Thin Lizzy
Rock band Thin Lizzy formed in Ireland in 1969. Phil Lynott
and Brian Downey were approached by former members of Van Morrison’s band,
“Them,” and they created Thin Lizzy together. Their first release was Phil
Lynott’s composition, “The Farmer,” on Parlophone, in 1970. They released 500
copies, and 283 of these sold. The band’s debut album, “Thin Lizzy,” was
released in 1971. It did not chart, but it laid a foundation for the band’s
future songs. Thin Lizzy are known for their songs “The Boys Are Back In Town”
and “Whiskey in the Jar.”
Lewis Capaldi
Popular musician Lewis Capaldi was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1996. He
learned to play guitar when he was 9 years old and began singing in pubs when
he was 12. He rose to fame after he posted a video of himself singing in his
room. Since then, he has become known for his songs, “Someone You Loved” and
“Before You Go.”
Simple Minds
Simple Minds formed in 1977 in Scotland. They grew out of the Glasgow
punk band Johnny and the Self Abusers after the band ended their run. Simple
Minds’ band name came from a line in “Jean Genie” by David Bowie. They are best known for their song, “Don’t You
(Forget About Me),” which was featured in an iconic scene in the film, “The
Breakfast Club.”
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria Tunstall, known professionally as KT Tunstall, is a
musician from Scotland. Her debut album, “Eye to the Telescope,” was released
in 2004, putting out hit songs like “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly
I See.” Her discography boasts seven solo albums and 23 singles. She has also
performed over 800 concerts over the span of her career.
Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers got their start in 1964 in Scotland. Brothers Alan and
Derek Longmuir started playing music at private events, and over time, they
eventually went public. As the official Bay City Rollers, they started in the
mid-1970s as others joined the band. They got their name from Bay City,
Michigan. By 1975, the band’s lineup included Alan Longmuir, Derek Longmuir, Eric
Faulkner, Les McKeown, and Stuart Wood. The band’s biggest hits include
“Saturday Night” and “I Only Want To Be With You.”
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