Finbar Furey(born 28 September 1946) is a multi-instrumentalIrish folkmusician, best known for the band he formed with his brothers,The Fureys.The Fureys were formed inBallyfermot,Dublin,where they grew up.
Finbar Furey | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 28 September 1946 Dublin,Ireland |
| Origin | Ballyfermot,Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | Folk music,Irish music,Irish folk |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Uilleann pipe,banjo,acoustic guitar and tin whistle |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Valley Entertainment,Dolphin Music |
| Website | www |
Early life
editFinbar Furey was born on 28 September 1946 inBallyfermot,Dublin. Finbar's well-known musician father, Ted started him on theUilleann pipeswhile he was very young. By his teens, he had won three All Ireland Medals, The Oireachtas, and many Feisanna. He was the only piper to win theAll Ireland,the Oireachtas medal and the four province titles in the same year. Finbar is anIrish Traveller.
Career
editFinbar popularized the pipes worldwide while on tour with his brotherEddiein the 1960s. In 1969, Finbar and Eddie began touring as backup musicians for the influential Irish folk groupThe Clancy Brothers.Finbar played the pipes, as well as thebanjo,tin whistle,andguitarwith the group live, on television, and on recordings. The Furey brothers left the group the following year and began performing as a duo again. Finbar and Eddie were awarded Single of the Year byJohn Peelin 1972.
When the younger brothers Paul and George joined the band, several years later,The Fureysenjoyed hits includingWhen You Were Sweet Sixteen,Tara Hill,Green Fields of France,Red Rose Café,andThe Lonesome Boatman.In Britain, they became one of the first Irish folk groups to play onTop of the Pops.[citation needed]
In 1997, after nearly thirty years asThe Fureys' front man, Finbar decided the time was right to follow his own path as a singer songwriter. He decided to step aside and pursue his solo career, to present his definitiveone-man show,and to explore new pastures as a singer, producer, and writer.[1]
In the early 2000s, Finbar began an acting career. His first appearance was in theMartin ScorsesefilmGangs of New York.He has also appeared in 2004'sAdam & Paul,2007'sStrength and Honour,2010s shortParis Sexy,and theRTÉ TelevisionseriesLove/Hate.[2][3]
In 2011 he released the albumColoursonDolphin Music.The album, which featured guest performances fromMary BlackandShayne Ward,was released in North America in 2012 on theValley Entertainmentrecord label.[4]
In August 2013, Furey appeared on the Irish television showThe Hit.He recorded a single pitched by a songwriter, Gerry Fleming, "The Last Great Love Song", which charted at number one in the Irish charts, againstMundy's song "Jigsaw Man" written by Mark Walsh, which charted at number five. The song was performed again with theRTÉ Concert Orchestrain the final and came first place in the public vote, earning the title "The Ultimate Hit".[5]
In 2023, he released the album "Moments in Time" including a collection of his own compositions along with traditional songs.[6]
References
edit- ^"Biography".FinbarFurey.com.Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2012.Retrieved23 March2012.
- ^"Actor".FinbarFurey.com.Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2012.Retrieved23 March2012.
- ^"Finbar Furey".IMDb.Retrieved23 March2012.
- ^"Colours".Valley Entertainment.Retrieved23 March2012.
- ^"Finbar Furey wins The Hit".Rte.ie.31 August 2013.Retrieved17 March2020.
- ^"Moments in time - Finbar Furey [CD]".