Paddy Clancy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick "Paddy" Clancy
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Clancy in 1956
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| Background information | |
| Born | 7 March 1922 |
| Origin | Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Died | 11 November 1998 (aged 76) Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Genres | Folk, traditional Irish |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, music producer, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, harmonica |
| Years active | 1951–1998 |
Patrick Michael Clancy (born March 7, 1922 – died November 11, 1998), often called Paddy Clancy or Pat Clancy, was a famous Irish folk singer. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. This group helped make Irish traditional music very popular in the United States. They also helped bring it back to life in Ireland. Besides singing and telling stories, Paddy played the harmonica. He also started and ran a folk music company called Tradition Records. This company recorded many important artists during the American folk music revival.
Contents
Paddy's Early Life
Paddy Clancy was born in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland. He was one of eleven children. He was also the oldest of four boys. During World War II, he worked as a flight engineer in the Royal Air Force in India. After the war, Paddy worked as a baker in London.
In 1947, he moved to Toronto, Canada, with his brother Tom. The next year, they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, to stay with family. Later, they tried to move to California. However, their car broke down. So, they decided to move to the New York City area instead.
Starting a Career in Greenwich Village
Acting and Music in New York
In 1951, Paddy and Tom Clancy moved to Greenwich Village in New York City. This area was a hub for artists and musicians. Both brothers focused on acting careers. They appeared in many plays and TV shows. They also produced and starred in plays at the Cherry Lane Theatre. One of their plays, The Plough and the Stars, ran for 18 weeks.
After some plays lost money, the brothers started singing folk songs. They would perform after their acting jobs. They called these shows "Midnight Specials" or "Swapping Song Fair." Other famous folk singers often joined them. These included Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Jean Ritchie.
Founding Tradition Records
In 1956, Paddy's younger brother Liam Clancy came to New York. Liam met Tommy Makem while collecting folk songs in Ireland. Liam and Tommy started singing together at Gerde's Folk City. Paddy and Tom sometimes sang with them. These were usually informal folk 'sing-songs' in the Village.
Around the same time, Paddy started Tradition Records. He co-founded it with folk-song collector Diane Hamilton. In 1956, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem released their first album. It was called The Rising of the Moon. Paddy's harmonica was the only musical instrument on it.
Paddy Clancy signed and recorded many well-known folk artists for Tradition Records. These included Alan Lomax, Ewan MacColl, and Odetta. Odetta's first solo album, Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues, was very important. Bob Dylan, a friend of the Clancys, said it inspired him to become a folk singer. Carolyn Hester's album with Tradition also helped her become famous. Paddy also helped edit many of the albums.
The Clancy Brothers Become Famous
Rise to Stardom
In the late 1950s, Paddy, his brothers, and Tommy Makem started taking singing more seriously. They recorded their second album, Come Fill Your Glass with Us. This album was more successful. They began getting offers to sing at big nightclubs. These included the Gate of Horn in Chicago.
The group became famous across the United States. This happened after they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. This led to a contract with Columbia Records in 1961. Throughout the 1960s, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem recorded about two albums each year. By 1964, Billboard Magazine reported that they were selling more records than Elvis Presley in Ireland. Two of their albums, In Person at Carnegie Hall and The First Hurrah!, were also hits in the United States. Paddy Clancy thought In Person at Carnegie Hall was their best record.
Group Changes and Leadership
The group performed together on stage, on recordings, and on television. They were very popular in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Tommy Makem left the group in 1969 to start a solo career. The group continued with Bobby Clancy and then Louis Killen. Liam left in 1976 to also pursue a solo career.
In 1977, the group reformed. It included Paddy, Tom, Bobby Clancy, and their nephew Robbie O'Connell. Liam returned in 1990 after Tom Clancy passed away.
Liam Clancy once described Paddy as the "alpha male" of the group. This means Paddy was the strong leader. Liam said his younger brothers and Makem followed Paddy "without questioning his authority." Paddy often spoke for the Clancys. He frequently shared funny stories and jokes during their concerts. His most famous song was the classic Irish drinking song, "A Jug of Punch." He was also known for his versions of "Mountain Dew" and "The Foggy Dew."
Later Life and Legacy
Return to Ireland and Final Years
After living in North America for twenty years, Paddy Clancy returned to Ireland in 1968. He moved back to Carrick-on-Suir. He bought a dairy farm there and raised special types of cattle. When he wasn't touring or working on his farm, he enjoyed fishing, reading, and doing crossword puzzles.
In the late 1990s, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor was removed successfully. However, he was also found to have lung cancer around the same time. He continued performing until his health made it impossible.
Patrick Clancy passed away at home from lung cancer on November 11, 1998. He was 76 years old. He was buried in the small village of Faugheen, near Carrick-on-Suir. He was wearing his famous white cap. He was survived by his wife, Mary Clancy, and their four children: Rory, Orla, Maura, and Conor. He also had a daughter from his first marriage, Leish Clancy. Four of his siblings also survived him: Liam, Bobby, Peg, and Joan.
Paddy's Impact on Music
After Paddy's death, folklorist Ciarán Mac Mathúna called him the "strong man" of the Clancy Brothers. Irish folk musician Mick Moloney said Paddy was "a powerful figure in a group of strong willed men." Moloney also noted Paddy's lasting impact. He said that Irish music would not be as successful today if Paddy had not made it his career. He helped open the way for many other Irish musicians.
Solo Singing and Guest Appearances
- 1959 – Folk Festival at Newport, Volume 1 – Vanguard LP
- 1961 – Folk Music of the Newport Folk Festival: 1959-1960, Volume 1 – Folkways LP/CD
- 1984 – Mick Moloney: Uncommon Bonds – Green Linnet LP/CD
- Other recordings listed under The Clancy Brothers
Albums Edited
Tradition Records
- 1956 – Siobhán McKenna, John Neville, Tom Clancy: The Countess Cathleen
- 1956 – Ed McCurdy: A Ballad Singer's Choice
- 1956 – Norman Notley & David Brynley: Elizabethan Songs
- 1957 – Glenn Yarbrough: Come and Sit by My Side
- 1957 – John Jacob Niles: I Wonder as I Wander — Love Songs and Carols
- 1957 – Mary O'Hara: Songs of Ireland
- 1957 – Odetta: At the Gate of Horn
- 1957 – A. L. Lloyd and Ewan MacColl: Blow Boys Blow – Songs of the Sea
- 1960 – Peg & Bobby Clancy and the Clancy Grandchildren: So Early in the Morning
- 1960 – John Jacob Niles: An Evening with John Jacob-Niles
- 1960 – Theodore Alevizos: Songs of Greece
- 1961 – The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem: The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem
- 1961 – Carolyn Hester: Carolyn Hester
- 1961 – Tommy Makem: Songs of Tommy Makem
- 1961 – Peg & Bobby Clancy: Songs from Ireland
