Clancy Brothers
The last of the singing Clancy Brothers passed away at the end of last week. Liam Clancy was a musician of the top caliber. Back in the 1950s, he emigrated to the US in order to join his brothers who were starting up a strong career. They made a highly touted record at the time and then joined another Irishman named Tommy Makem. The group brought Irish music to a wide audience and also helped to bring the world of folk music to a new generation of musicians. This added to the folk-rock movement, including people like Bob Dylan. They also played their Irish music differently, without putting nearly so much emphasis on ballads (think Bing Crosby) and shifted it more into a bouncy dancing rhythm (Michael Flatly style). We never think that this music wasn’t the norm, but the Clancy Brothers helped to bring it forwards.
