Damien Rice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Damien Rice
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Rice performing in 2010
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| Born | 7 December 1973 Dublin, Ireland |
| Origin | Celbridge, Ireland |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Damien George Rice (born on December 7, 1973) is an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is known for his folk and indie rock music. Damien started his music journey in the 1990s with a rock band called Juniper. They had some success in Ireland with songs like "The World is Dead" and "Weatherman."
After leaving Juniper in 1998, Damien tried different things. He worked as a farmer in Tuscany, Italy, and played music on the streets (called busking) across Europe. In 2001, he returned to Ireland and began his solo music career. The other members of Juniper formed a new band called Bell X1.
In 2002, Damien released his first solo album, O. It became very popular, reaching the top 10 in the UK. He released his second album, 9, in 2006. After working on various projects, his third album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, came out in 2014. Damien has also used his music to support important causes, like helping people in Tibet and promoting freedom campaigns.
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Early Life and Background
Damien Rice was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 7, 1973. His parents are George and Maureen Rice. He grew up in a town called Celbridge in County Kildare. Damien went to Salesian College there. He is also related to other musicians, including Irish singer Stevie Mann and English composer David Arnold.
Music Career Highlights
Starting with Juniper
Damien Rice helped form the rock band Juniper in 1991. He started the band with his school friends Paul Noonan, Dominic Philips, David Geraghty, and Brian Crosby. They all met while going to school in Celbridge.
After playing many shows around Ireland, Juniper released their first collection of songs, an EP called Manna, in 1995. The band signed a big record deal and released popular songs like "Weatherman" and "The World is Dead." They also wrote a song called "Volcano," which later appeared on Damien's first solo album.
Damien left Juniper in 1998 because he felt the record label was making too many artistic choices for the band. He wanted to make music his own way. After leaving, he moved to Italy and worked on a farm for a while. He then traveled around Europe, playing music on the streets. Later, he received help from his cousin, composer David Arnold, who gave him equipment to record his own music.
Solo Music Journey
In 2001, Damien Rice's song "The Blower's Daughter" became a top-40 hit. Over the next year, he worked on his first solo album. He collaborated with talented musicians like guitarist Mark Kelly, drummer Tom Osander, pianist Jean Meunier, and vocalists Lisa Hannigan and Vyvienne Long. After recording, Damien toured Ireland with his new band.
His first album, O, was released in 2002. It was a big success, staying on the UK Albums Chart for a long time. Songs from the album, like "Cannonball" and "Volcano," became popular hits.
In 2005, Damien used his music to support important causes. He joined campaigns to help free Aung San Suu Kyi, a leader of the democracy movement in Burma (now Myanmar). He wrote the song "Unplayed Piano" for her and performed it at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2006.
Damien's second album, 9, came out in 2006. He spent 2007 touring and performing at major music festivals like Glastonbury Festival in England. In 2008, he contributed the song "Making Noise" to an album called Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace, which supported the 14th Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet.
In 2010, Damien released the song "Lonely Soldier" for the Enough Project, which works to end violence and injustice. He also performed at the Iceland Inspires concert. In 2011, he worked with French actress and singer Melanie Laurent on her first album.
In 2013, Damien announced he was working on a new album. His third album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, was released in November 2014. It received great reviews from music critics.
More recently, in 2020, Damien covered Sia's song "Chandelier" for a charity album called Songs for Australia. In July 2023, while performing in Spain, Damien paid tribute to the late Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor by playing her famous song "Nothing Compares 2 U" after learning of her passing during his show.
Discography
- Studio albums
- O (2002)
- 9 (2006)
- My Favourite Faded Fantasy (2014)
See also
In Spanish: Damien Rice para niños
- List of songs performed by Damien Rice
