Micho Russell Facts for Kids

Micho Russell (born March 25, 1915 – died February 19, 1994) was a famous Irish musician. He was best known for playing the tin whistle very well. He also played the flute. Micho was also a collector of traditional music and old stories, known as folklore.

Biography
- Music Journey
- His Passing
Micho's Works
See also

Biography

Micho Russell was born in a place called Doonagore, near Doolin, in County Clare, Ireland. His family was very musical. His mother played the concertina, and his father was a sean-nós singer. This is a special way of singing old Irish songs. Micho had two brothers, Packie and Gussie, who were also musicians. He also had two sisters. Micho never married.

Music Journey

Micho taught himself to play the tin whistle when he was eleven years old. He learned by listening and practicing, not by reading music. In the 1960s, traditional Irish music became very popular again. This helped Micho become well-known and gave him chances to perform.

In 1973, Micho won the All-Ireland tin whistle competition. This made him even more popular. People loved to hear him play. Micho was also known for telling stories before he played his tunes. These stories often included old legends and folklore. He knew a lot about Irish traditions, including language, stories, dance, and old country cures.

His Passing

Micho Russell died on February 19, 1994. He was in a car accident on his way home from a performance. He was planning to record another music CD soon.

Micho's Works

Original Music

Micho Russell wrote only one known song himself. It was called "Micho Russell's Reel." This tune was a new version of an older song he knew. He once explained how he added the last part to the old tune. Other musicians, like Mary Bergin, have also recorded "Micho Russell's Reel." His most famous songs were John Phillip Holland and The Well of Spring Water.

Recordings

Micho Russell played on many music recordings. These recordings helped share his amazing music with people all over the world.

Micho Russell performs on the following recordings
Year	Artist	Title	Label	Notes
1975	Micho, Pakie and Gusie Russell	The Russell Family of Doolin, Co. Clare	Topic Records	Recorded in O'Connor's Bar, Doolin January 1974.
1976	Micho Russell	Traditional Country Music of Co. Clare	Free Reed	Reissued on CD by Free Reed in 2008
1982	Micho Russell	Micho Russell	Triskell	LP format.
1990	Micho Russell	Under the Cliffs of Moher	Xeric
1993	Micho Russell	The Limestone Rock	GTD Heritage Recording Co. Ltd.
1993	Micho Russell	The Man from Clare	GTD Heritage Recording Co. Ltd.	features duets with Eugene Lambe on Flute and Tin Whistle
1994	John Williams	John Williams	Green Linnet Records
1995	Micho Russell	The Wind that shakes the Barley	GTD Heritage Recording Co. Ltd.	Features Music, Song and Folklore
1995	Micho Russell	In Our Own Dear Land	GTD Heritage Recording Co. Ltd.	A similar mix of Music, Song and stories.
1995	Micho Russell	Ireland's Whistling Ambassador	The Pennywhistler's Press	Includes a 28-page booklet with a biography and notes on his music. There is also a video release with different music.
2015	Micho Russell	Rarities & Old Favorites 1949–1993: Tin Whistle, Flute & Songs From North Clare & Beyond	The Pennywhistler's Press	A double-CD with forty-nine tracks that span Micho's entire career. Includes a 16-page booklet. Released both as a download and a physical CD.

Books He Wrote

Micho Russell also wrote several books. These books shared his knowledge of music, folklore, and stories from the west of Ireland.

Micho Russell wrote the following books
Year	Title	Publisher
1980	The Piper's Chair	Ossian Publications
1986	The Piper's Chair No. 2	Canal Press, N.Y.
1988	The road to Aran: Songs, Folklore and Music of West of Ireland	Micho Russell, Doolin.
1990	Doolin's Micho Russell	N.Y.
1991.	Micho's Dozen	Ennistymon Festival of Traditional Singing, Co. Clare.
1992	Music & Folklore of Doonagore	Micho Russell, Doolin.

Micho Russell facts for kids

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