Phil Coulter facts for kids

Philip Coulter (born 19 February 1942) is a famous Irish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He comes from Derry, Northern Ireland. Phil Coulter has won many awards for his music. In October 2009, he received the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

Phil Coulter has sold millions of records. He has earned 23 platinum discs, 39 gold discs, and 52 silver discs. He also won two Grand Prix Eurovision awards and five Ivor Novello Awards. One of these was for Songwriter of the Year. He also received three American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awards, a Grammy Nomination, and a Meteor Award. He is one of the top record sellers in Ireland.

Some of his most famous songs include "The Town I Loved So Well", "Puppet on a String", and "Congratulations".

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Growing Up in Derry

Phil Coulter was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. His father was a policeman from Strangford, County Down. His mother was from Belfast. Phil was the fourth of six children. They lived in a small terraced house.

Music was very important in their home. Phil's father played the fiddle, and his mother played the piano. Phil remembers the piano as the most important item in their house.

One of Phil Coulter's popular songs, "The Town I Loved So Well", is about his hometown. It talks about the difficult times in Derry when he was young.

School and University

Phil went to St. Columb's College for secondary school. Later, he studied music and French at Queen's University Belfast (QUB).

Starting a Music Career

At Queen's University, Phil started his first band. They played early rock and roll music. He also created the Glee Club, which put on music shows for the university. By 1964, Phil had already written a few hit songs in Ireland.

He then moved to London. His first job was helping a music publisher in Denmark Street. From there, he worked with many famous artists. These included Billy Connolly, Van Morrison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Tom Jones.

He wrote "Foolin' Time" in 1963, which was a hit for the Capitol Showband. He also helped arrange "Terry" in 1964. This song became a UK Top 5 hit for Twinkle. He also co-wrote "I Can Only Give You Everything" for the band Them.

Working with Bill Martin

A Successful Songwriting Team

In 1965, Phil Coulter met Bill Martin. They became a very successful songwriting team for over ten years. Bill wrote the lyrics, and Phil created the melody.

They wrote "Puppet on a String" for Sandie Shaw. This song won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967. It became a huge international hit. The next year, their song "Congratulations", sung by Cliff Richard, came second in Eurovision.

Seven years later, another song by Coulter, "Toi", was performed in Eurovision. It was sung by Geraldine, who later became Phil's wife. Phil conducted the orchestra for this song, which came in fifth place.

Big Hits and Awards

Between 1967 and 1976, Coulter and Martin had four songs reach No. 1 in the UK. These were "Puppet on a String", "Congratulations", "Back Home", and "Forever and Ever". They also had many songs in the Top 10. These included "Shang-a-Lang" by the Bay City Rollers and "Surround Yourself with Sorrow" by Cilla Black. In 1975, Martin and Coulter won an Ivor Novello Award for 'Songwriter of the Year'.

The Bay City Rollers also had a No. 1 hit in the US in 1976 with "Saturday Night". Coulter and Martin wrote three No. 1 hits in the US. They also wrote "My Boy", a song sung by Elvis Presley.

They also created music for the 1967 Spider-Man TV show. Phil Coulter also wrote the music for the 1978 movie The Water Babies.

Producer and Solo Artist

Producing Other Artists

Besides writing hit songs, Phil Coulter also produced albums for other bands. He worked with Planxty and The Dubliners. He produced The Dubliners' 1973 album, Plain and Simple. He wrote or co-wrote many songs on it.

Coulter also produced and arranged most of Joe Dolan's 1983 album, Here and Now. This album had several hit singles. It even reached number one in South Africa.

In 2007, Phil Coulter helped create Celtic Thunder. This was a male singing group, similar to the successful Celtic Woman. Many songs in their show, like "That's a Woman", were written by Coulter. He left his role with Celtic Thunder in 2011.

His Own Albums

In 1984, Phil Coulter started releasing his own music. His first solo album was Classic Tranquility. His next album, Sea of Tranquility, reached No. 46 in the UK Albums Chart. It stayed on the chart for fourteen weeks. His album Phil Coulter's Ireland also reached No. 86 in the UK.

He moved from London back to Ireland. He set up his music company at his home in Bray. Phil Coulter's website says he has earned 23 platinum, 39 gold, and 52 silver albums.

In the 1990s, Coulter produced music for Sinéad O'Connor and Boyzone. In 2001, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his album Highland Cathedral. On 28 October 2009, he received a BASCA Gold Badge Award for his amazing contribution to music.

Phil Coulter's Personal Life

Phil Coulter's first marriage was to Angela Coulter. Their second child had special needs and sadly passed away at age four. To help him cope, Phil wrote the song "Scorn Not His Simplicity". Luke Kelly recorded this song, and it became a well-known version.

In 1974, Phil was asked to write a song for the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest. He saw Geraldine Brannigan in a TV advert and knew he wanted her to sing his song. She represented Luxembourg and came in fifth place. Phil later said it was love at first sight.

In November 1998, Phil married Geraldine Brannigan. They had a small ceremony with their six children: Danielle, Dominique, Alexandra, Daragh, Ryan, and Georgina. Phil and Geraldine live in Bray, County Wicklow.

Interests and Contributions

Sports Involvement

Phil Coulter used to be the president of Derry City F.C., a football club. His son, Ryan, plays as a goalkeeper for Forward Madison FC.

In 1995, the Irish Rugby Football Union asked Phil Coulter to write a special song. They wanted an anthem for the Ireland national rugby union team. This team represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The song he wrote was "Ireland's Call". It is now played alongside, or sometimes instead of, the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland. "Ireland's Call" is also used by the Irish national hockey, cricket, and rugby league teams.

Awards and Recognition

Phil Coulter has received special honorary doctorates from several universities. These include the University of Ulster (1988), Dublin Institute of Technology (2006), and The Open University (2018). On 5 April 2022, he was given the Freedom of the City of Derry. This is a very special honor from his hometown.

Discography

Albums

Eurovision Song Contest Entries

Phil Coulter helped write three songs for the Eurovision Song Contest:

• "Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw, United Kingdom (Eurovision Song Contest 1967), which won 1st place.
• "Congratulations" by Cliff Richard, United Kingdom (Eurovision Song Contest 1968), which came in 2nd place.
• "Toi" by Géraldine, Luxembourg (Eurovision Song Contest 1975), which came in 5th place.