Born and raised in Strabane, County Tyrone. His uncle Bernard was a fiddle player in Irvinestown, County Fermanagh. Paul Brady was into a wide variety of music from an early age. A child of the 1950s, his first sound were the Swing, Jazz, Show tunes of his parent’s generation. Then 50’s Rock ‘n Roll, 60’s pop and Motown, Blues, R&B and Country and Western. Through all this ran the potent flavor of Irish traditional music and song.
By an early age Paul Brady had established his popularity and reputation as one of Ireland’s best interpreters of traditional songs. His versions of great ballads like Arthur McBride and The Lakes of Pontchartrain were definitive and are still being asked for by audiences today.
While a student in Dublin, Brady became a member of an R&B group, The Kult. He later embraced folk music with the Johnstons. Renowned as a commercial attraction, the group enjoyed chart success with a version of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’.
Brady subsequently joined Planxty, the much-loved traditional unit, where the multi-instrumentalist forged a particular empathy with fellow member Andy Irvine. The Andy Irvine/ Paul Brady partnership prefaced Brady’s solo career which began with the much lauded ‘Welcome Here Kind Stranger’ in 1978.
The singer abandoned folk in 1981 with ‘Hard Station’, which included the Irish chart-topping single ‘Crazy Dreams’. Bob Dylan and Bono also professed admiration for the artist’s talents, while Tina Turner’s covers of ‘Steel Claw’ and ‘Paradise Is Here’ on her landmark ‘Private Dancer’ album cemented Brady’s reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter.
He collaborated with Mark Knopfler on the soundtrack to the movie ‘Cal’, before releasing a well received live album, ‘Full Moon’. Subsequent releases like ‘Trick Or Treat’ were very well received and comparisons with his fellow northern craftsman, Van Morrison, showed just how highly Brady’s star has ascended. Bonnie Raitt, an admirer of Brady’s work, gave his career a significant boost by including two of his songs on her 1991 album ‘Luck Of The Draw’, including the title track.
Paul collaborated with the likes of Ronan Keating, Connor Reeves, Carole King and Will Jennings on his most recent release ‘Oh What A World’, another marvelous collection of balladry and pop/rock grooves. Touring extensively both as a solo performer and with his own band he has forged a reputation as a passionate and exciting performer and attracts a dedicated following worldwide.
In 2002 Paul rediscovered a live show recording at Liberty Hall in Dublin in the 1978. It was hidden in Paul Brady’s attic for the past 2 decades. When he found it, he was amazed by the quality and vitality of the performances. It featured Irish legends Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine, Matt Molloy, Liam O’Flynn, and Paddy Glackin.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
