Kiev Connolly facts for kids

Kevin "Kiev" Connolly, born on April 5, 1956, is a talented Irish musician. He is a songwriter, a music producer, and a performer. His band, Kiev Connolly and The Missing Passengers, became famous for representing Ireland. They competed in the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest.

Early Life and Music Start

Kevin Connolly was born in Ballymote, a town in County Sligo, Ireland. He went to school in Cork. In 1978, he moved to Germany. There, he started working as a studio musician. He also became a music producer in West Berlin. This meant he helped artists record their songs.

Rocking Out with The Missing Passengers

In 1985, Kevin Connolly formed his own pop group. They were called "The Missing Passengers." The band quickly signed a record deal in Germany. They worked with companies like Ariola and RCA. The group then traveled all over Europe, performing their music.

In 1985, The Missing Passengers performed one of Kevin's songs. It was called "Did She Tell You." They played it on popular TV shows in Germany. Kevin Connolly returned to Ireland in 1987.

Eurovision Adventure

In 1989, Kevin Connolly and The Missing Passengers had a big chance. They were chosen to represent Ireland. This was at the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest was held in Lausanne, Switzerland. They performed Kevin's song, "The Real Me".

The song became quite popular in Ireland. It reached number 17 on the Irish Singles Chart in May 1989. That year, the country of Yugoslavia won the Eurovision Song Contest.

Behind the Scenes: Producer and Collaborator

In 2000, Kevin Connolly started his own music company. It was called Feature Music Studios. He became very busy arranging and producing music for other artists.

He worked a lot with a famous Irish folk band. They are called The Wolfe Tones. Kevin helped them create several live performances and albums. He was a producer on their 2001 album, "You'll Never Beat the Irish". Sometimes, Kevin even joined The Wolfe Tones on stage. He played keyboards and guitar for them during their shows.