Johnny McEvoy

Johnny McEvoy (born 24 April 1945) is an Irish singer and entertainer of Country and Irish genre born in Banagher, County Offaly, Ireland.[1]

Johnny McEvoy
Born24 April 1945 (age 75)
Banagher, County Offaly, Ireland
GenresIrish folk, Country and Irish
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, musician
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active1965-present
Associated actsGloria

Personal life

Johnny was born in 1945, one of four children with two sisters and a brother to John and Emily McEvoy. His father was a bus driver and his mother was a housewife. Johnny's father was not initially supportive of his musical career: "It wasn't a bad relationship. We just seemed to have no relationship... until, I became famous." His mother, by contrast, was supportive, and suggested that he record Mursheen Durkin.[1]

He met his wife Odette in 1967 and they married in 1970. The song The Planter's daughter is written about her and references her supposed ancestry from Strongbow. They have two children: Jonathan and Alice.

McEvoy has admitted to finding fame "scary" and believes that it triggered his manic depression, an issue he first spoke about on Gay Byrne's talk show in the early 1990s. He gave up drinking in 1979: "Giving up was the easiest thing I ever did and it might have saved my life."[2]

During his wife's illness, he cancelled all tour, recording and travel plans. To stay occupied, he wrote a songbook[3] recounting the songs he has sung over the years, both his own compositions and covers. His wife helped by typing out song lyrics. Odette died of ovarian cancer on 12th November 2013. [1][3]

He now lives in Greystones and is in a relationship with Mary.[1]

Career

He was initially part of a duo called "Ramblers Two", the other member being fellow art student Michael Crotty. Their fame was enhanced when they supported the Rolling Stones when they came to Ireland in 1965 in the Adelphi cinema.[2] After a stint touring Ireland and England in the mid-sixties, the two went their separate ways. Johnny McEvoy's first big break came in late 1966 when he recorded "Mursheen Durkin," an old ballad from the west of Ireland.[1] It topped the charts at number one for three consecutive weeks. It was followed by "The Boston Burglar" which also reached number one in the charts. His first tour to the U.S. was in 1967, highlighted by a concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall. It was at this stage he had his third number one Hit with the song "Nora" (a version of When You and I Were Young, Maggie)," from Seán O'Casey's famous play The Plough and the Stars.[4]

He later formed a band in the 1970s. He wrote his first song "Long Before Your Time." It too reached number one, becoming his fourth and to date last number one in the Irish charts.[4] He went on to write many more songs, many of which have become standards that have been recorded by other artists including "Long Before Your Time," "Michael," "Going To California," "The Ballad of John Williams," "Richman's Garden," "Never Learned To Dance," and "The Ballad of Anne Frank."

In 2010 a documentary on the life and times of Johnny McEvoy, "For the Poor and for the Gentry," was televised. For the production of the documentary McEvoy re-recorded his first number one hit, most popular and biggest selling song, "Mursheen Durkin," a collaboration recording with Sharon Shannon and her Big Band.[5] The renewal of the classic was also included on a double album and DVD "For the poor and for the Gentry - The Definitive Johnny McEvoy," which was released later that year.

Live performances

Aside from an illustrious recording career, Johnny McEvoy is perhaps best known for his live performances and tours in Ireland and on the international circuit. His renown is worldwide and he has spent many years travelling and performing. In concert, he sings and plays acoustic guitar. In the 1970s, he toured with a large band, which included two other guitarists, bass, keyboard and fiddle.[6] In later years, he was often accompanied by only one other guitarist, such as Philip O'Duffy.[7] He typically plays a combination of his own compositions and traditional songs such as Carrickfergus, The Boston Burglar and The Leaving of Liverpool.[8]

Discography

Singles

List of singles and E.P.s with chart positions
Title Year Peak Irish chart position Notes
Mursheen Durkin 1966 1 As "The Rambler"
Love Minus Zero 1966 As "The Rambler"
The Boston Burglar/ I Still Miss Someone 1967 1
Funny Man/ Was It You 1967 10
Black Velvet Band 1967
Come to the Bower 1967
About This Time (E.P.) 1967
Nora/ Tarry Flynn 1968 1
Hedgehog Song/ Time And Tide Again 1968
Mary of the Curling Hair 1969
But That's Alright 1970
The West's Asleep 1970
Three Score and Ten/ You Win Again 1971 6
Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore 1971
Gentle Annie 1972 8
Just The Way I Am 1972 As "Gloria and the Johnny McEvoy Band"
Spancil Hill 1972
All I Have to Offer You is Me 1972 13
Tomorrow is Forever 1973 14 As "Gloria and the Johnny McEvoy Band"

Released as "Super single" with double A

and B sides.[9]

When I Sing For Him 1973 As "Gloria and the Johnny McEvoy Band"
Christmas with Johnny McEvoy (E.P.) 1974
Bedtime Story 1974
Rose of Moray 1974 6
Super Single E.P. 1974
Where My Eileen Is Waiting 1975 2
Rose of Allendale 1975 6
Long Before Your Time 1976 1
The Old Man and the Donkey 1976
Nora 1977 Re-recording
Bound for Botany Bay/ All in All 1978 16
Just One More Night 1978
Anne Devlin 1979
The Old Rocking Chair/ Lovel Lady 1980
The Ballad of John Williams 1981
A Rich Man's Garden 1984 14
If Wishes were Fishes 1984
Since Maggie Went Away/ The Losing Game 1985
Your Seldom Come to See Me Anymore 1987
Staten Island/ Big Mansion House on the Hill 1988
Michael/ Pat Murphy's Meadow 1989 17
Runaround Angel 1990 21
As Soon As I Can 1991
Long Way from the Sun/ Wheels go Round 1991
Roseville Fair 1992

Albums

  • For The Poor and the Gentry (1967)
  • With An Eye To Your Eye (1968)
  • All Our Wars Were Merry, All our Songs Are Sad (1970)
  • Best of Johnny McEvoy (1975)
  • Sounds Like McEvoy (1975)
  • Where My Eileen Is Waiting (1975)
  • Long Before Your Time (1976)
  • Leaves in the Wind (1977)
  • I'll Spend A Time With You (1978)
  • Twenty Greatest Hits (1979)
  • Johnny McEvoy Goes Country (1980)
  • Since Maggie Went Away (1985)
  • The Legendary Johnny McEvoy (2002)
  • Going to California (2003)[10]
  • 20 Collected Irish Ballads (2008)[11]
  • Basement Sessions (2014)
  • Into the Cauldron (2017)[12]

References

  1. "'I'm inclined to be quite a grumpy man'". independent. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  2. "My battles with fame, depression – and Rolling Stones fans . . ". independent. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  3. McEvoy, Johnny (2017). My songs, my stories, my life in music. Dublin, Ireland: Cherrywood Publishing. ISBN 978-1-9998556-0-4.
  4. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  5. "THE JOHNNY MCEVOY STORY | RTÉ Presspack". presspack.rte.ie. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  6. "Johnny McEvoy". www.irish-showbands.com. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  7. "An evening of nostalgia with Johnny McEvoy". independent. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  8. "Johnny McEvoy Setlist at Waterfront Hall Studio, Belfast". setlist.fm. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  9. "Hawk Records [Irish Record Labels]". www.irishrock.org. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. Going to California by Johnny McEvoy, retrieved 25 June 2020
  11. 20 Collected Irish Ballads - Johnny McEvoy | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 25 June 2020
  12. Into the Cauldron - Johnny McEvoy | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 25 June 2020

Further reading

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