Troy Donockley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Troy Donockley
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Donockley with Nightwish in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Born | 30 May 1964 Workington, Cumberland, England |
| Genres | Folk rock, traditional, progressive rock, symphonic metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Uilleann pipes, tin whistle, vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, bouzouki, cittern, bodhrán, mandola |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Troy Donockley (born May 30, 1964) is an English musician and composer. He is famous for playing the Uilleann pipes, a special type of bagpipes. Troy has played with many different artists. He is best known as a member of the Finnish band Nightwish. He started playing with them in 2007 and became a full-time member in 2013.
Contents
Troy's Early Life and Music Journey
Troy Donockley was born in Workington, England. His parents were musicians in a band called Travelling Country. When Troy was 16, he joined their band. They played music at many places in West Cumbria. His father had a large collection of records. This helped Troy love classical, rock, country, and traditional music. He learned to play many instruments. He became a master of the Uilleann pipes. As a teenager, he dreamed of traveling the world as a musician.
Celtic-Folk Music Adventures
In 1987, Troy started a band called 'You Slosh'. They played Celtic Rock music. They recorded their first album, 'Glorious Racket', in 1989. The next year, he played as a guest musician with the Celtic-folk band Iona. This was when Celtic-folk music was becoming very popular. Both bands were very successful. Troy recorded another album with You Slosh in 1991. He also recorded nine more albums with Iona. He officially joined Iona in 1995 and left the band in 2009.
Troy also worked with Máire Brennan from the band Clannad. He played on her album 'Two Horizons'. In 1999, Troy played on the album 'Debatable Lands' by Kathryn Tickell. They played different types of pipes together.
In 2008, Troy started a band called The Bad Shepherds with Adrian Edmondson. They played punk and new wave songs using folk instruments.
Working with Famous Singers
Troy met singers Barbara Dickson and Maddy Prior in northern England. Barbara Dickson made both easy-listening and folk albums. Troy played on her folk albums in 1994 and 2004. He then helped produce several of her albums. These included Words Unspoken (2010) and To Each & Everyone - The Songs of Gerry Rafferty (2013).
Troy also worked with Maddy Prior. After playing on her album Flesh and Blood in 1997, he helped produce four more of her solo albums. Some of these were Ravenchild (1999) and Ballads and Candles (2000).
Joining Nightwish
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Troy first played with Nightwish in 2007. He was a guest musician on their album Dark Passion Play. He played whistles and pipes on songs like "The Islander". He also joined them for some shows on their tour. He even appeared in the music video for "The Islander". In 2011, Troy was a guest on Nightwish's album Imaginaerum. He played whistles, pipes, and sang. He also joined them for the Imaginaerum World Tour. He appeared on their concert DVD 'Showtime, Storytime'. Troy was also in the 2012 Imaginaerum movie. He played a stage illusionist.
After the Imaginaerum World Tour ended, Troy became a full-time member of Nightwish in October 2013. He plays many instruments for the band. These include pipes, whistles, bouzouki, and both electric and acoustic guitars. In 2020, Troy sang the main vocals for Nightwish's song ‘Harvest’. This was one of only two songs on the album Human. :II: Nature. not to feature Floor Jansen on lead vocals.
Other Music Projects
Troy has played as a guest musician for many other artists. These include Roy Harper, Midge Ure, and Status Quo. He also played on eight albums by the band Mostly Autumn. He worked with the Welsh band Magenta on two albums. Troy's music can also be heard in movie soundtracks. He played for the movies Robin Hood (2010) and Ironclad (2011). He also performed with Midge Ure at Live 8 in Scotland.
Classical Music Compositions
Troy Donockley has also written music for choirs and orchestras. He worked hard to make sure his classical music sounded just right. His albums The Unseen Stream (1998) and The Pursuit of Illusion (2003) showed the Uilleann pipes in a new way. His most recent classical work is The Madness of Crowds (2009).
Troy's Family Life
Troy Donockley lives in North Yorkshire, England. He lives with his wife, Terri, and their daughter, Mia. Troy is also a vegan.
Music Albums
Troy Donockley has been part of many great music albums. Here are some of them:
Solo Albums
- The Unseen Stream (1998)
- The Pursuit of Illusion (2003)
- The Madness of Crowds (2009)
With Nightwish
- Dark Passion Play (2007)
- Imaginaerum (2011)
- Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015)
- Human. :II: Nature. (2020)
- Yesterwynde (2024)
With The Bad Shepherds
- Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera! (2009)
- By Hook or By Crook (2010)
- Mud Blood & Beer (2013)
With Iona
- Iona (1990)
- The Book of Kells (1992)
- Beyond These Shores (1993)
- Journey into the Morn (1996)
- Open Sky (2000)
- Dunes/Snowdonia (2002)
- The Circling Hour (2006)
With Auri
- Auri (2018)
- II – Those We Don't Speak Of (2021)
- III – Candles & Beginnings (2025)
See also
In Spanish: Troy Donockley para niños
