Eleanor McEvoy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eleanor McEvoy
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McEvoy performing in 2016
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| Background information | |
| Born | 22 January 1967 |
| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1990–present |
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Eleanor McEvoy (born 22 January 1967) is an Irish singer and songwriter. She wrote the famous song "Only a Woman's Heart." This song was the title track of A Woman's Heart, which became the best-selling Irish album ever. Eleanor has released many albums and toured all over the world. She is known for her unique voice and thoughtful lyrics.
Contents
Eleanor McEvoy's Early Life
Eleanor McEvoy started her musical journey very young. She began playing the piano at age four. When she was eight, she learned to play the violin. After finishing school, she went to Trinity College Dublin. There, she studied music during the day. At night, she played in orchestras and music clubs.
Eleanor finished college in 1988 with a special degree in music. She then spent four months playing music on the streets of New York City. In 1988, she joined the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. She played with them for four years before deciding to focus on writing her own songs.
Eleanor's Music Career
Starting Out: 1992–2000
Eleanor McEvoy became well-known in clubs around Dublin. She played with her band, which included Jim Tate on bass and Noel Eccles on drums. Later, Bill Shanley joined on guitar. In July 1992, she sang her own song, "Only a Woman's Heart," during a solo show.
Mary Black, a famous singer whose band Eleanor was part of, heard the song. Mary invited Eleanor to add the song to an album featuring Irish female artists. This album was named A Woman's Heart, and Eleanor's song was the first single released from it.
Just before A Woman's Heart came out, a music executive from Geffen Records saw Eleanor perform. He offered her a worldwide record deal. This executive had previously signed big bands like Guns N' Roses.
The A Woman's Heart album sold over 750,000 copies in Ireland alone. It is still the biggest-selling Irish album of all time.
Eleanor's first album, Eleanor McEvoy, was released in February 1993. She then toured in the United States, Asia, and Europe. In Ireland, she won awards for Best New Artist, Best New Performer, and Best Songwriter.
For her second album, What's Following Me?, Eleanor signed a new deal with Columbia Records US. This album was released in 1996. The song "Precious Little" became a top-10 radio hit in the United States. This helped Eleanor get noticed and led to her own headline tour in the US. She also contributed songs to movies and TV shows.
In 1999, Eleanor released her third album, Snapshots. She wanted this album to focus more on her songs. She worked with producer Rupert Hine, who had worked with many famous artists. The album received great reviews. The Boston Globe called it a "gem." Despite this, the record company was surprised by the new style. Eleanor toured the United States and performed with Richard Thompson.
Independent Music: 2001–2005
For her fourth album, Yola, Eleanor decided to release it independently. This album, released in 2001, showed a new acoustic and jazz-influenced style. Music critics loved it, calling it "her finest album" and "musically daring." In 2002, Yola was named "Record of the Year" by Hi-Fi+ Magazine.
In March 2004, Eleanor released Early Hours. This album had a jazz and blues feel. It was praised for its high-quality sound. Early Hours was voted Best Contemporary Album in 2004–2005 by Irish Music Magazine readers. Eleanor continued to tour, sometimes performing solo with various instruments.
Awards and Tours: 2007–2010
Eleanor's sixth album, Out There, came out in 2007. She wrote and produced all the songs herself. She also played most of the instruments. The album included a song called Vigeland's Dream, which describes a walk she took in a famous sculpture park in Oslo, Norway. Out There won Eleanor her second "Record of the Year" award from Hi-Fi+ Magazine.
Her seventh album, Love Must Be Tough, was released in 2008. Half of this album featured covers of songs written by men about women. The lead single, "Old, New, Borrowed and Blue," was co-written with Dave Rotheray. In 2008, Eleanor won her third "Record of the Year" award from Hi-Fi+ Magazine.
In 2007, Eleanor was named "Best Traditional Act" at the Big Buzz Awards. She toured widely from 2008 to 2010, including a performance at Glastonbury. She also released "Easy in Love" to support Oxfam Ireland after visiting Uganda.
In 2009, Eleanor released Singled Out. This album was a collection of singles from her previous award-winning independent albums. It also included a new song, "Oh Uganda," inspired by her visit there.
Her eighth album, I'd Rather Go Blonde, was released in 2010. It received excellent reviews, with one magazine calling it "one of the most compelling female singer-songwriters I've heard in a long time."
New Albums: 2011–2014
Alone, Eleanor's ninth album, came out in 2011. It featured twelve simple, solo songs. Eleanor recorded them in a quiet studio, creating a very personal and timeless album.
In 2013, she released her tenth album, If You Leave.... It included eight new songs and four covers, such as "God Only Knows" and "True Colors". Eleanor said she was inspired by 1960s albums like those by The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
STUFF, her eleventh album, was released in 2014. Eleanor put this album together based on requests from fans for songs they couldn't find elsewhere. It included single mixes, special audio tracks, and songs she had written for other artists.
Recent Work: 2015–Present
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Naked Music is Eleanor's twelfth studio album. It was recorded in the UK.
In 2017, she also released The Thomas Moore Project. This album featured her own versions of songs by the famous Irish poet Thomas Moore.
In 2019, Eleanor appeared on the TV show Celebrity Home of the Year in Ireland. She also collaborated with artist Chris Gollon for an art exhibition, recording a special song for one of his paintings.
"Only a Woman's Heart" Song
"Only a Woman's Heart," written by Eleanor McEvoy, is the title song of the album A Woman's Heart. This album sold over 750,000 copies in Ireland. It remains the biggest-selling Irish album ever.
Many artists have covered "Only A Woman's Heart," including:
- Emmylou Harris with Mary Black
- Phil Coulter
- French Canadian singer Isabelle Boulay
- Celtic Woman
The song is even mentioned in Charles Webb's book New Cardiff. This book was later made into the movie Hope Springs. Charles Webb also wrote The Graduate, which became a famous movie.
In 2012, the A Woman's Heart album celebrated its twentieth anniversary. This was marked by four sold-out concerts in Dublin, Ireland. Eleanor McEvoy performed with other artists like Mary Coughlan and Sharon Shannon.
A documentary called Our Woman's Hearts was made in 2012. It explored how A Woman's Heart became so popular. It also looked at how the album affected three generations of women.
To celebrate the anniversary, Eleanor also released a new song called The Secret of Living in July 2012. She performed it with other singers from the A Woman's Heart group.
Eleanor's Discography
- Eleanor McEvoy – Geffen Records (GEFC/GEFD24606) 1993
- What's Following Me? – Columbia Records (484233.2) 1996
- Snapshots – Columbia Records (CK494598.2) 1999
- Yola – Mosco (EMSACD1) 2001
- Eleanor McEvoy 'Special Edition' – Market Square (MSMCD127) 2003
- Early Hours – Moscodisc / Market Square (MSM1SACD128) 2004
- Out There – Moscodisc (MOSACD 303) September 2006
- Love Must Be Tough – Moscodisc (MOSCD404) February 2008
- Singled Out – Moscodisc (MOSCD406) September 2009
- I'd Rather Go Blonde – Moscodisc (MOSCD408) September 2010
- Alone – Moscodisc (MOSCD409) September 2011
- If You Leave... – Moscodisc (MOSCOD4010) March 2013
- Stuff – Moscodisc (MOSCD4111) March 2014
- Naked Music – Moscodisc (MOSCD4014) February 2016
- The Thomas Moore Project – Moscodisc (MOSCD4015) June 2017
- Gimme Some Wine - Blue Dandelion Records
Music in Movies and TV
Movies
- Eleanor sang "The Seabird" in the movie Some Mother's Son, which starred Helen Mirren.
- Her song "I Hear You Breathing In" was in How To Cheat in the Leaving Certificate.
- The song "Whisper a Prayer to the Moon" was featured in The Nephew, starring Pierce Brosnan.
- "I Hear You Breathing In" also appeared in the Spanish movie El vuelo del tren ("The Magic of Hope").
Television Shows
- The HBO series Six Feet Under used the song "All I Have," which Eleanor co-wrote.
- "A Glass Unkissed" from her 1996 album was in the ABC show Clueless.
- The documentary In Our Own Voice on PBS featured "Easy To Lose Hope." This song is about the journalist Veronica Guerin.
- "All I Have" was also used in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.
- Eleanor's song "Only A Woman's Heart" appeared in the Irish TV show Glenroe.
- "Days Roll By" from her album Early Hours was featured in Fair City, a popular Irish soap opera.
Special Audio Recordings
Eleanor's album Yola was one of the first albums recorded especially for SACD. This means it was made to sound extra clear and detailed on special audio systems. Her music is often used by high-end audio companies to test their speakers because it sounds so good.
Eleanor's albums have won many audio awards. Early Hours was the first to use a special sound technology called TiMax. Her album Love Must Be Tough was named Album of the Year by Hi-Fi Plus, a respected UK magazine. It was also released on vinyl records.
