George Millar (singer) facts for kids

George Millar was born on April 14, 1947, in Northern Ireland. He is a talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist. George is famous for being a co-founder and leader of the popular Irish folk group, The Irish Rovers. The band started in Toronto, Canada, in 1963. They were named after a traditional song called "The Irish Rover".

The Irish Rovers became very well-known for their TV shows around the world. They helped make Irish Music popular in North America. Some of their most famous songs include "The Unicorn", "Drunken Sailor", "Wasn't That a Party", and "The Black Velvet Band".

George Millar became a Canadian citizen. This happened after Canada's Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, asked The Irish Rovers to represent Canada globally. Millar and his band proudly represented Canada at five World Expos. In 2018, they were honored in Dublin, Ireland, at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum as one of Ireland's greatest exports.

George Millar's Life Story

George Millar has two siblings, Will Millar and Sandra Beech. When they were kids, Will and Sandra performed as "The Millar Kids" in Ireland. George sometimes joined them, playing spoons! Their family later moved to Canada.

Starting The Irish Rovers

When George was a teenager in 1963, he met Jimmy Ferguson at an Irish event in Toronto. They started playing music together as The Irish Rovers. Soon, George's cousin, Joe Millar, who also moved to Canada, joined them.

The group toured around Ontario, playing in cafes, clubs, and hotels. Then, George, Jim, and Joe went to Calgary. There, they met up with George's brother, Will Millar. Will was performing on a children's TV show called Just 4 Fun. With Will joining, The Irish Rovers became a group of four. They played at The Depression Coffee House in Calgary. Later, they moved to California, and Wilcil McDowell joined the band.

George's Singing Role

George Millar sings the main vocals on most of The Irish Rovers' songs. This includes their first recording of "The Black Velvet Band" from 1967. He also sings lead on songs like "Lord of the Dance" and "Home To Bantry Bay". He even wrote and sang a special song called "And The Sun It Still Rises" after his wife, Betsy, passed away.

George has appeared on television many times. He was part of three international Irish Rovers TV series in the 1970s and 1980s. More recently, he has been in three more Irish Rovers TV specials.

The Titanic Song

In 2012, The Irish Rovers released George's song, "The Titanic". This song was on their Drunken Sailor album. It focused on Belfast and the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which built the famous Titanic ship a century before. The song and its video became big news in Belfast, Northern Ireland. George and the song were even featured in a Canadian TV show for the CBC. This helped give credit back to the shipyards in Northern Ireland for building the Titanic.

As of 2024, George Millar is still touring with The Irish Rovers. He continues to be the bandleader.

George Millar's Compositions

George Millar has written many songs. Some of his compositions include "No More Bread and Butter," which was featured in the movie Dudley Do-Right. He also wrote the title song for their album, "Gracehill Fair". Other songs he wrote are "Bells Over Belfast," "The Girls of Derry," and "The Boys of Belfast."

The band planned to release their "Saints And Sinners" album in 2020. George wrote this album, which included songs like "The Banshee's Cry" and "Band Without A Country". However, the Covid pandemic caused delays.

During the Covid years, George wrote a new album for the Rovers called "No End In Sight". This album included the song "Hey Boys Sing Us A Song". George wrote this song because he missed performing and was tired of hearing only news reports. The song became very popular during their 2023 tour. It was even nominated for "Single of the Year" at the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Music Producer Role

Since 1993, George Millar has produced all of The Irish Rovers' albums for Rover Records. He has also produced albums for his brother and sister.

Awards and Recognitions

• 1982: Won a Juno Award for Best Children's Album as a producer for Inch By Inch.
• 2011: Won the Vancouver Island Music Awards for Producer/Songwriter. He also received a SOCAN - Song of the Year award for Gracehill Fair.

Honours for The Irish Rovers

George Millar has received many honours as a member of The Irish Rovers:

• 1968: Won the RPM Awards (which later became the JUNO Award) for "Folk Group of the Year".
• 1968: Nominated for a GRAMMY Award for "Folk Performance of the Year".
• 1971: Won an ACTRA Award for Best Variety Performance.
• 1975: Nominated for a JUNO Award for Best Album Cover for "Emigrate! Emigrate!".
• 1979: Won the PROCAN Harold Moon Award for International Achievement for their TV Program.
• 1981: Nominated for a JUNO Award for Single of the Year for "Wasn’t That A Party".
• 1981: Nominated for a JUNO Award for Folk Artist of the Year.
• 1982: Nominated for a JUNO Award for Group of the Year.
• 1982: Nominated for a JUNO Award for Country Group of the Year.
• 1982: Nominated for a JUNO Award for Folk Artist of the Year.
• 1983: Nominated for a JUNO Award for Country Group of the Year.
• 2010: Won the VIMA Award (Vancouver Island Music Awards) and a SOCAN Song of the Year award for "Gracehill Fair".
• 2023: Nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Awards for Single of the Year for "Hey Boys Sing Us A Song".