Sharon Shannon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sharon Shannon
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Shannon in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Born | 8 June 1968 Ruan, County Clare, Ireland |
| Genres | Celtic, folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Button accordion, fiddle, tin whistle, melodeon |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Sharon Shannon is a famous Irish musician. She was born on June 8, 1968. She is best known for playing the button accordion and the fiddle. She also plays the tin whistle and a similar instrument called the melodeon.
Her first album, Sharon Shannon, came out in 1991. It became the best-selling traditional Irish music album ever in Ireland. Sharon's music started with Irish folk but now includes many different styles. She won a special award for her long career at the 2009 Meteor Awards.
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Early Life and Musical Start
Sharon Shannon grew up in Ruan, County Clare, Ireland. She started performing with a local band called Disirt Tola when she was just eight years old. By the age of fourteen, she was touring the United States with them.
Sharon also loved show jumping and was very good at it. However, when she was sixteen, she decided to focus only on music. She also chose not to continue her studies at University College Cork. In the mid-1980s, she learned the accordion from Karen Tweed. She also studied the fiddle with Frank Custy. Sharon was a founding member of the band Arcady and performed with them.
Joining The Waterboys
Sharon began making her own recordings in 1989. She worked with producer John Dunford and other musicians. This led her to join the band The Waterboys. She played with them for about a year and a half.
Sharon played both accordion and fiddle on their album Room to Roam. Her first world tour was with The Waterboys. She left the band later when they started playing more rock and roll music.
First Solo Albums
Sharon's first solo album, Sharon Shannon, was released in 1991. It became a huge success. It is still the best-selling traditional Irish music album in Ireland.
Her music became very popular, especially in Ireland. She was featured on a famous TV show called The Late Late Show. This helped her debut album sell even more copies.
In 1994, Sharon released her second album, Out The Gap. This album had a unique reggae sound. A song she played, "Cavan Potholes," was on a 1996 album called Common Ground: Voices of Modern Irish Music. Other famous artists like Sinéad O'Connor and Bono were also on that album.
Her fourth album, Spellbound, came out in 1998. It included new songs, live performances, and songs from her earlier albums. That same year, she performed with violinist Nigel Kennedy. They played his "Jimi Hendrix Suite" in big cities across Europe.
In 2000, Sharon released The Diamond Mountain Sessions. This album featured many different singers. It was also very successful, selling triple platinum. Sharon also recorded the song "The Galway Girl" with Steve Earle. This song appeared on both her album and Steve Earle's album. Sharon has also worked with many other artists, including Jackson Browne and John Prine.
Later Music and Tours
As a solo artist, Sharon Shannon has toured all over the world. She has performed in Australia, Europe, Hong Kong, and Japan. She has also played for important people like Bill Clinton. Sharon often plays concerts to support causes she cares about, like animal welfare.
In 2004, she released the album Libertango. It featured guest singers like Sinéad O'Connor. In 2005, she released Tunes with other musicians. A collection of her music from 1990 to 2005 came out in 2006.
A live version of "Galway Girl" with Mundy was the most downloaded song in Ireland in 2007. It won a Meteor Award. In 2009, she performed "Galway Girl" at the Meteor Music Awards again. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award there.
For several years, Sharon performed often with Shane MacGowan. Her band played songs from his group, The Pogues. Sharon also recorded two of Shane MacGowan's songs. He sang on her albums Saints and Scoundrels (2009) and Collaborations (2010).
Sharon played accordion on a song called "Bangarang" by The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra in 2014. Sharon's music shows many different influences. These include reggae, cajun music, and French Canadian music. She even had hip hop music artists on her song "What You Make It (da, da, da, da)". She continues to make music and perform with her band, The Woodchoppers.
Awards and Recognition
In October 2018, NUI Galway gave Sharon Shannon a special honorary doctorate degree. This is a high honor that recognizes her achievements.
Discography
Albums
- Sharon Shannon (1991)
- Out the Gap (1994)
- Each Little Thing (1997)
- Spellbound: The Best Of Sharon Shannon (1999)
- The Diamond Mountain Sessions (2000)
- Live in Galway (2002) with the Woodchoppers
- Libertango (2003)
- tunes (2005) with Frankie Gavin, Michael McGoldrick, and Jim Murray
- The Sharon Shannon Collection 1990–2005 (2006)
- Live at Dolans CD & DVD (2007)
- Renegade (2007) with Mike McGoldrick, Dezi Donnelly, and Jim Murray
- Saints & Scoundrels (2009)
- upside down (2009) with Mike McGoldrick, Dezi Donnelly, and Jim Murray
- Flying Circus (2012) with Jim Murray and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
- The Set List US/Canada 2014 (2014)
- In Galway CD & DVD (2015) with Alan Connor
- Live in the US and Canada 2016 (2016) with Jim Murray and Alan Connor
- Sacred Earth (2017)
- Live in Minneapolis (2019)
- The Winkles Tapes 1989 (2019)
- The Reckoning (2020)
Videography
- Live at Dolans (2007)
- In Galway (2015) with Alan Connor
See also
In Spanish: Sharon Shannon para niños
