Gerry O'Connor (banjo player) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerry O'Connor
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Gerry O'Connor in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gerald O'Connor |
| Born | 21 July 1960 Portroe, Tipperary, Ireland |
| Origin | Portroe, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Genres | Irish folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Tenor banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Associated acts | Four Men and a Dog, The Dubliners, The Dublin Legends |
Gerry O'Connor, born on July 21, 1960, in Nenagh, Ireland, is a very talented traditional Irish musician. He is especially known for playing the tenor banjo. Many people, including famous music critics, believe he is one of the best four-string banjo players in Irish music history. Gerry also plays other instruments like the mandolin, fiddle, and guitar.
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A Master Musician
Gerry O'Connor has released four solo albums. His third album, called No Place Like Home, was named the best Traditional/Folk album of 2004 by the Irish Times newspaper.
In 2012, after the banjo player Barney McKenna passed away, Gerry joined the famous band The Dubliners. He helped them finish their planned tour. Barney McKenna himself once said that Gerry O'Connor was his "best pupil ever." After The Dubliners' final shows, Gerry continued to tour in 2013 with some of the original members. They formed a new group called The Dublin Legends.
Playing with Famous Bands
Besides his solo work, Gerry O'Connor is a member of the band Four Men and a Dog. He has also worked on the music for Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance show.
Over the years, Gerry has played with many well-known Irish artists. These include bands like The Waterboys and Arcady. He has also performed with singers such as Mary Black, Moya Brennan, Luka Bloom, and Sharon Shannon. In 1998, he even performed for US President Bill Clinton during his visit to Belfast. More recently, in 2011, he played on Christy Moore's album Folk Tale.
Special Performances
In 2012, Gerry O'Connor was one of four musicians chosen by blues rock singer and guitarist Joe Bonamassa. They performed an acoustic concert at the famous Vienna Opera House in Austria.
These five musicians had never met or worked together before. They arrived in Vienna and, just three days later, put on a live show. This special event was released as a CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray in 2013. It was called An Acoustic Evening At The Vienna Opera House. In 2014, the concert was also shown on a PBS television special.
His Banjo Style
Gerry O'Connor mainly plays the tenor banjo tuned to CGDA. This is a bit different from the usual Irish banjo tuning, which is GDAE. Since 1996, he has mostly used a David Boyle banjo for his tours. However, when he records music in the studio, he often uses an Epiphone Recording A banjo.
What He Has Recorded
Here are Gerry O'Connor's solo albums:
- Time To Time, 1991
- Myriad, 1998
- No Place Like Home, 2004
- High Up – Low Down, 2009
