Paul Brady
The brilliant singer/songwriter/guitarist Paul Brady is one of the most popular and iconic musicians to come out of Ireland in recent decades. He started his career as a folk musician in the early ‘70s with the Johnstons, then moved on to a stint with the legendary Irish group Planxty. His first solo recording, “Welcome Here Kind Stranger,” along with a duo album with Andy Irvine, continue to be favorites among fans of traditional music on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1981, Paul went into a more commercial pop/rock mode with “Hard Station,” the first of many highly influential CDs featuring his strong talents as a songwriter, performer and arranger. His albums “Trick or Treat,” “Spirits Colliding,” and “Nobody Knows: The Best of Paul Brady” were critically received and his songs were picked up by artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner and other top stars. He has since collaborated with Béla Fleck, Richard Thompson, Mark Knopfler, Carole King, Van Morrison and many others, and is highly esteemed throughout both the folk and popular music worlds.
In 2001, Paul formed his own record label, PeeBee Music. The first release was a CD “The Missing Liberty Tapes” featuring a live recording of a Paul Brady concert in Dublin in 1978, the tapes of which were lost for 23 years. This record, hailed as a classic by the Irish traditional music community, also features Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Liam O’Flynn, Matt Molloy, Paddy Glackin and Noel Hill. Also in 2001, Paul undertook a record-breaking, celebrated run at Dublin’s premier music venue, Vicar Street. Playing 23 sold-out shows over the month of October, he re-visited much of his by now extensive repertoire and was joined on stage by several of the many artists he has worked and collaborated with over the previous thirty years.
To date, Paul has released more than 15 solo albums. He continues to tour, record and write new music.
