Liam Clancy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liam Clancy
Liam Clancy (right) with singer Odetta in 2006
Background information
Birth name	William Clancy
Born	(1935-09-02)2 September 1935 Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland
Died	4 December 2009(2009-12-04) (aged 74) Cork, Ireland
Genres	Folk, traditional Irish
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, concertina
Years active	1955–2009
Associated acts	The Clancy Brothers, Makem and Clancy

Liam Clancy (born September 2, 1935 – died December 4, 2009) was a famous Irish folk singer. He came from a town called Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary, Ireland.

He was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers, a very important folk group. Many people even called them Ireland's first pop stars! They sold millions of records around the world and performed in huge, sold-out venues like Carnegie Hall in New York and the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Liam was known for his strong singing voice. Even famous singer Bob Dylan thought he was the best ballad singer ever! Later, as part of the duo Makem and Clancy, Liam had a number one hit song in Ireland in 1976. This song was called "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda". When he passed away, a newspaper called The Irish Times said he had left a lasting mark on music.

Early Life and Interests

Liam Clancy was born in Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland, on September 2, 1935. He was the ninth and youngest child in his family. As a boy, people knew him as William or Willie. He later got the nickname 'Liam' from an actor named Cyril Cusack.

His family had a strong connection to Irish history. Liam showed an artistic side from a young age. The first song he learned was "The Croppy Boy". He went to a Christian Brothers school. After that, he worked selling insurance in Dublin. He also took evening classes at the National College of Art and Design.

When he was still a teenager, Liam enjoyed writing and painting. But he was especially interested in theatre and acting. He started using the name Liam when he began performing. He even performed at the famous Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.

In 1955, Liam met Tommy Makem for the first time. This meeting was important for his future music career. Later, Liam moved to New York City. He called Greenwich Village "the island for people escaped from repressed backgrounds".

Singing Career Highlights

Liam Clancy had a long and successful career in music. He became famous for his powerful voice and his love for traditional Irish songs.

The Clancy Brothers Group

Liam Clancy started singing with his older brothers, Paddy and Tom Clancy. They often performed at events to raise money for theatres. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem began recording music in the late 1950s. Their first records were on Paddy Clancy's own label, Tradition Records.

In 1959, they recorded a very important album called The Rising of the Moon. They also performed live in American cities like Boston, Chicago, and New York. Their big break came on March 17, 1961. They performed for a record sixteen minutes on the American TV show The Ed Sullivan Show. This made them huge stars! They were only supposed to sing two songs, but the main act cancelled.

After that, they went on tours all over the world. They performed at famous places like Carnegie Hall (which sold out in 1962) and the Royal Albert Hall. Their special look was wearing Aran sweaters. Liam's mother sent these sweaters from Ireland to keep her sons warm in America. The group recorded many albums for Columbia Records. They were very successful during the folk music revival of the 1960s.

Liam was good friends with Bob Dylan. They even dated two sisters in New York at the same time! Liam also performed live for United States President John F. Kennedy.

In 1964, a large number of all albums sold in Ireland were by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. One of their singles, "The Leaving of Liverpool", reached number six on the Irish music charts in 1964. Liam sang the main part in this song. Liam played the guitar in almost all their recordings. He also sang the main part in many other popular songs. These included "The Wild Rover", "The Shoals of Herring", and "The Parting Glass". "The Parting Glass" was always the last song at every Clancy Brothers concert.

Liam Clancy was the last living member of the original Clancy Brothers. His brother Tom passed away in 1990, Paddy in 1998, and Tommy Makem in 2007. Bobby Clancy, who joined the group later, died in 2002. Liam once said that being the last of the brothers gave him a "great sense of freedom".

Solo Work and Other Groups

After The Clancy Brothers stopped performing together, Liam started a solo career. He performed on TV shows in Canada. He had a hit song called "The Dutchman" during this time. He even had his own TV show in Calgary.

In 1975, Liam met Tommy Makem again at a festival. They decided to form a new group called Makem and Clancy. They performed many concerts and recorded several albums together until 1988. The original Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem also reunited in the 1980s for a tour and an album.

After Tom Clancy passed away in 1990, Liam sang with Paddy, Bobby Clancy, and their nephew Robbie O'Connell. They performed as The Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell. Liam also performed with his Fayreweather Band and the Phil Coulter Orchestra. With Phil Coulter, Liam had a top four hit song in 1989 called "Home from the Sea".

In his later years, Liam continued his solo career. He lived in Ring, County Waterford, Ireland. His home there was designed by a famous architect and had special solar panels. He even turned his garage into a recording studio.

In 2001, Liam Clancy received an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick. This is a special award from a university.

Liam also wrote a book about his life called The Mountain of the Women in 2001. He appeared in No Direction Home, a 2005 documentary about Bob Dylan directed by Martin Scorsese.

In 2006, a two-hour documentary about Liam Clancy was made. It was called The Legend of Liam Clancy. This film won an award for best series in 2007. In 2008, Liam performed in a filmed concert called Liam Clancy and Friends: Live at The Bitter End. This concert featured his friend Odetta and other famous musicians.

Another full-length movie about Liam Clancy was released in 2009. It was called The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy. This film included appearances by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Odetta. It also showed old videos of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem.

His last album, The Wheels of Life, was released in 2009. It included songs with Mary Black and Gemma Hayes.

Liam was always very open about his political views. He often spoke out against social unfairness until he died. He criticized wars and the difficult economic times in Ireland during his last months.

In September 2009, Liam told The Irish Times that he was feeling very weak. He had given his last performance in May of that year. During that show, he recited a poem called "And death shall have no dominion". He couldn't perform a full show, but he still appeared for 40 minutes. His manager said it was a "very profound moment".

Passing Away

Liam Clancy passed away on December 4, 2009. He died from a lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis in a hospital in Cork, Ireland. His brother Bobby had died from the same disease seven years earlier.

Liam was buried in the new cemetery in An Rinn, County Waterford. This is where he had lived for many years. He was survived by his wife, Kim, and their four children: Eben, Siobhán, Fiona, and Donal. He also had three children from previous relationships: Sean, Andrew, and Anya.

Many people mourned Liam's death. The leader of Fine Gael, Enda Kenny, said Liam was a "brilliant musician". Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen said Liam was a "nationally and internationally renowned folk singer". He added that Liam "enriched all of our lives with memorable songs".

Radio DJs in New York also paid tribute to Liam. One DJ said The Clancy Brothers had "broke down a wall" in Irish popular music. Singer Christy Moore spoke about Liam on a TV show. He said that seeing The Clancy Brothers perform in 1962 was "the most exciting concert" he had ever attended.

Hundreds of people attended Liam Clancy's funeral on December 7 in Dungarvan. These included important government officials and many musicians and artists. He was later buried in An Rinn.

Discography

Solo Recordings

• 1965 – Liam Clancy – Vanguard LP/CD
• 1974 – Farewell to Tarwaithie – Plainsong LP
• 2007 – Yes Those Were The Days: The Essential Liam Clancy – Dolphin Records
• 2008 – The Wheels of Life – Dolphin Records

Guest Recordings

• 1955 – The Lark in the Morning – Tradition LP/Rykodisc CD
• 1956 – The Countess Cathleen – Tradition LP
• 1989 – Phil Coulter: Words and Music – Shanachie CD
• 1992 – Phil Coulter: A Touch of Tranquility – Shanachie CD
• 1994 – Joanie Madden: Whistle on the Wind – Green Linnet CD
• 1999 – Cherish the Ladies: At Home – RCA CD
• 2000 – The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone – Windham Hill CD
• 2002 – Danú: All Things Considered – Shanachie CD

Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem

Tradition Records

• The Rising of the Moon (1956, 1959 second version)
• Come Fill Your Glass with Us (1959)
• The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem (1961)

Columbia Records

• A Spontaneous Performance Recording (1961)
• Hearty and Hellish! A Live Nightclub Performance (1962)
• The Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone (1962)
• In Person at Carnegie Hall (1963)
• The First Hurrah! (1964)
• Recorded Live in Ireland (1965)
• Isn't It Grand Boys (1966)
• Freedom's Sons (1966)
• In Concert (1967)
• The Irish Uprising (1967)
• Home, Boys, Home (1968)
• Sing of the Sea (1968)
• The Bold Fenian Men (1969)
• Reunion (1984)
• Luck of the Irish (1992)
• The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Bob Dylan) (1992)
• Irish Drinking Songs (1993)
• Ain't It Grand: A Collection of Unissued Gems (1995)

The Clancy Brothers (Liam, Tom, Pat, Bobby)

• Christmas – Columbia LP/CD (1969)
• Flowers in the Valley – Columbia LP (1970)

Audio Fidelity Records

• Welcome to Our House (1970)

Lou Killen, Paddy, Liam, Tom Clancy

Audio Fidelity Records

• Show Me The Way (1972)
• Save the Land! (1972)
• Live on St. Patrick's Day (1973)

Vanguard Records

• The Clancy Brothers' Greatest Hits (1973)

Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem

Blackbird and Shanachie Records

• Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy (1976)
• The Makem & Clancy Concert (1977)
• Two for the Early Dew (1978)
• The Makem and Clancy Collection (1980)
• Live at the National Concert Hall (1983)
• We've Come A Long Way (1986)

Bob Dylan

• The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Pat, Liam & Bobby Clancy sing "When The Ship Comes In" with Tommy Makem and Robbie O'Connell)

The Clancy Brothers (Tom, Pat, Bobby) and Robbie O'Connell

• Mini CD (3 inch disc)

The Clancy Brothers (Liam, Pat, Bobby) and Robbie O'Connell

• Older But No Wiser – Vanguard (1995)

Clancy, Evans, and Doherty

• 1996 – Shine on Brighter – Popular CD

Clancy, O'Connell & Clancy

Helvic Records

• Clancy, O'Connell & Clancy – (1997)
• The Wild And Wasteful Ocean – (1998)

Filmography

• 1984 – The Story of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem – Shanachie
• 1984 – Reunion Concert: Belfast – Shanachie
• circa 1985 – Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest (1965) – Central Sun / Shanachie (reissue)
• 1997 – Farewell to Ireland – Pinnacle Vision
• 2007 – Yes...Those Were the Days: Liam Clancy – Live at the Olympia, Dublin
• 2007 – The Best of 'Hootenanny' – Shout!
• 2009 – The Yellow Bittern: The life and times of Liam Clancy