John McKenna (flautist) facts for kids
John McKenna (born January 6, 1880 – died November 26, 1947) was an Irish-American musician. He came from a beautiful, mountainous area called Tents in County Leitrim, Ireland. This place is near Lough Allen, a lovely lake.
Life and Music
When John McKenna was young, he worked in the Arigna Collieries, which were coal mines. He married Mary Jane Keaveney, a nurse, on September 13, 1909. Soon after their wedding, they moved to America and made their home in New York. They arrived there on October 3, 1909.
John and Mary Jane had nine children together, but only six of them lived to adulthood. In July 1920, John McKenna started working for the New York City Fire Department. However, after his wife passed away, he left his job in 1926 to take care of his young children.
John McKenna made many recordings from 1921 to 1937. He recorded with several companies, including New Republic, O'Byrne De Witt, Columbia, and Decca Records. He helped bring back many old tunes from Leitrim, like "Lucky in Love" and "The Happy Days of Youth."
Because of his recordings, John McKenna became one of the most important flute players in Irish traditional music. He inspired many other musicians, such as the group De Dannan, Frankie Gavin, and Matt Molloy.
John McKenna is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York. In 1980, a special monument was built in Tarmon to honor his music. Soon after, the John McKenna Music Festival began. It happens every year in Drumkeeran, celebrating his amazing musical legacy.
Recordings
In 2014, a special two-CD collection of John McKenna's recordings was released. These recordings were carefully improved by Harry Bradshaw. The collection also came with a book that tells the full story of McKenna's life. This collection was put out by The John McKenna Society.
See also
