Maxi (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maxi
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Irene McCoubrey
23 February 1950 |
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| Years active | 1964–2011 |
Maxi (born Irene McCoubrey, 23 February 1950) is a famous musician and radio presenter from Ireland. She sang in popular girl groups and a special Irish supergroup called The Concerned in the 1970s and 1980s. Maxi also represented Ireland twice at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 and 1981. After a car accident, she started working as a radio presenter for RTÉ, where she worked for 30 years before retiring in 2015.
Contents
About Maxi
Early Life
Maxi, whose real name is Irene McCoubrey, was born on 23 February 1950. She was the third child of Madge and Sam. She grew up in a place called Harold's Cross. Her nickname "Maxi" came from the letters "McC" in her last name. Maxi has also been a representative for UNICEF Ireland, helping children around the world.
Music Career
Starting in Music
When Maxi was a child, she and her dad, Sam, played the violin. Her mom, Madge, played the piano. Maxi loved to sing! She sang with groups like the Little Dublin Singers and the Young Dublin Singers. She also sang in her school choir at St Louis High School, Rathmines.
Maxi, Dick and Twink
A man named Eamonn Andrews wanted to create a girl group to sing backing vocals for his recording studio. He chose Maxi, Adele King, and Barbara Dixon. Their voices sounded amazing together! They became known as Maxi, Dick and Twink, named after their nicknames. Maxi said that being in this group helped her, as a 14-year-old, become less shy.
This group became very popular, even touring in other countries like Germany. After seven years, the group decided to go their separate ways because they wanted to do different things. But Maxi said in 2015 that they are still good friends and talk all the time!
Eurovision Adventures
When Maxi was 23, she was chosen to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1973. She was going to sing a song called "Do I Dream". The competition was held in Luxembourg. There was a disagreement about how the song should be performed. Maxi almost didn't sing, but in the end, she did perform and finished in tenth place. Another singer, Tina Reynolds, represented Ireland the next year.
Sheeba and a Big Accident
Later in the 1970s, Maxi joined a new girl group called Sheeba. In 1981, Sheeba represented Ireland at Eurovision with their song "Horoscopes". They finished in fifth place.
After recording new songs in Holland and London, the three women from Sheeba were in a serious traffic collision in Castlebar. They all had to go to the hospital. Maxi had a serious head injury and lost some of her memory. The other members also had injuries. Because it took them a long time to recover, their record company stopped working with them. Even though they tried to continue on their own, the group eventually broke up.
The Concerned: Music for a Cause
In 1985, Maxi joined a special Irish supergroup called The Concerned. They came together to record a charity record called "Show Some Concern". This song was made to support the charity Concern Worldwide, which helps people in need. The song was a huge hit, reaching number one in March and April 1985! Many famous Irish musicians were part of The Concerned, including Linda Martin, Christy Moore, and Mary Black.
While Maxi was recovering from an illness in 2010 and 2011, she wrote 26 songs with a musician named Charlie McGettigan. Some of these songs were later recorded by other artists.
Life in Radio
Maxi was always interested in radio, even when she was a child. After the car accident that affected Sheeba, Maxi decided to try working in radio. A DJ named Pete Murray had once told her she had a "beautiful radio voice." Also, because of her medical treatment after the crash, she had to shave her head. Working on radio meant she could perform without being seen, which was helpful at the time.
In 1994, Maxi hosted a show on BBC Radio 2 on Saturdays. She also presented a show called Late Date on RTÉ 2fm for eleven years. She worked on a British game show called Name That Tune. Maxi was also the first woman to present Rapid Roulette. For eleven years, she hosted Risin' Time on RTÉ Radio 1 every morning. After working for 30 years, Maxi officially retired from RTÉ on February 23, 2015.
