Liam Clancy

Liam Clancy

William 'Liam' Clancy (September 2, 1935–December 4, 2009) (Irish;Liam Mac Fhlannchadha) was an Irish folk singer.

Liam was the youngest of the Clancy Brothers, and as a child was known as William or Willie. He displayed an artistic disposition at an early age, while growing up in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary. While still in his teens, Liam explored writing and painting, though he was particularly drawn to the theatre. In his early performing days, he began to call himself Liam rather than William or Willie. Before he was twenty years old, Liam had founded the local dramatic society now called "Brewery Lane Theatre and Arts Centre",and had produced, directed, set-directed, and starred in The Playboy of the Western World. Liam also performed at the renowned Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.

Clancy began singing with his brothers at fund-raising events for the Cherry Lane Theatre and the Guthrie benefits. The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, began recording on Paddy Clancy's "Tradition" label in the late 50s. A record-breaking 16 minute long performance on The Ed Sullivan Show launched the group into stardom. The quartet recorded numerous albums for Columbia Records and enjoyed great success during the '60s folk revival. He was a close friend of Bob Dylan when they both were going out with two sisters in New York. He performed live for President John F. Kennedy.

Liam Clancy played guitar in addition to singing and recorded several solo albums. In 1975 he was booked to play a festival in Cleveland, Ohio, where Tommy Makem was also playing. The two played a set together and formed Makem and Clancy, performing in numerous concerts and recording several albums as a duo, until 1988.

In 2001, Clancy published an autobiographical novel, entitled "The Mountain of the Women."

In early 2004 he created what many critics consider his greatest musical contribution since the dissolution of the original Clancy Brothers.

In 2006 Irish Television profiled Liam Clancy in a two hour documentary called "The Legend of Liam Clancy." In February 2007 the documentary won the award for best series at the Irish Film & Television Academy awards in Dublin.

Alan Gilsenan directed a full length biography of Liam Clancy, which was released at the 2009 Dublin Film Festival, The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy and includes appearances by Pete Seeger, Jean Ritchie, Bob Dylan, Oscar Brand, Odetta, Josh White, and many others.

Liam Clancy was the last surviving member of the original Clancy Brothers; Tom Clancy died on November 7, 1990, Patrick Clancy died on November 11, 1998 and Tommy Makem died on August 1, 2007. Liam Clancy died from complications of lung disease on December 4, 2009, and is survived by his wife, Kim, and five children.

Discography

Solo recordings

• 1965 – Liam Clancy – Vanguard LP/CD

*re-released with bonus tracks as 'Irish Troubadour' on Vanguard CD

• 1974 – Farewell to Tarwaithie – Plainsong LP

*on Shanachie CD as "The Dutchman"

• Kerrygold Cheddar Cheese – special edition 45rpm – unknown year

Guest recordings

• 1955 – The Lark in the Morning – Tradition LP/Rykodisc CD
• 1956 – The Countess Cathleen – Tradition LP
• 1989 – Phil Coulter: Words and Music – Shanachie CD
• 1992 – Phil Coulter: A Touch of Tranquility – Shanachie CD
• 1994 – Joanie Madden: Whistle on the Wind – Green Linnet CD
• 1999 – Cherish the Ladies: At Home – RCA CD
• 2000 – The Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone – Windham Hill CD

Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem

Tradition Records

• The Lark in the Morning – Tradition LP/Rykodisc CD – (1955)
• The Rising of the Moon (or Irish Songs of Rebellion) (1956, 1959 second version)
• Come Fill Your Glass with Us (or Irish Songs of Drinking and Blackguarding) (1959)
• The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem (self-titled) – (1961)

Columbia Records

• A Spontaneous Performance Recording (1961)
• Hearty and Hellish! A Live Nightclub Performance (1962)
• The Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone (1962) – 2 stereo issues (one includes alternate mixes)

*the last two albums were issued on now out of print Shanachie CDs

• In Person at Carnegie Hall (1963) – also on Columbia CD
• The First Hurrah! (1964)
• Recorded LIVE in Ireland (1965)
• Isn't It Grand, Boys (1966)
• Freedom's Sons (1966)
• In Concert (1967) – also on Columbia CD
• The Irish Uprising (1967)
• Home, Boys, Home (1968)
• Sing of the Sea (1968)
• The Bold Fenian Men (1969)
• Reunion (1984) – Released on Blackbird LP/Shanachie CD
• Luck Of The Irish – Columbia/Sony compilation. Contains 1 new song (Wars Of Germany) and 3 new performances of previously released songs: (Home Boys Home, The Old Orange Flute and They're Moving Father's Grave To Build A Sewer) (1992)
• Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1992)
• Irish Drinking Songs (1993) – contains unreleased material from the Carnegie Hall album
• Ain't it Grand: A Collection of Unissued Gems (1995) – unreleased material from the 1960s era

The Clancy Brothers (Liam, Tom, Pat, Bobby)

• Christmas – Columbia LP/CD (1969)
• Flowers in the Valley – Columbia LP (1970)

Audio Fidelity Records

• Welcome to Our House (1970)

Lou Killen, Paddy, Liam, Tom Clancy

Audio Fidelity Records

• Show Me The Way (1972)
• Save the Land! (1972)
• Live on St. Patrick's Day (1973)

Vanguard Records

• Clancy Brothers Greatest Hits (1973) – Vanguard LP/CD

*This was reissued as 'Best of the Vanguard Years' with bonus material from the 1982 Live! album with Bobby Clancy and Robbie O'Connell.

Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem

Blackbird and Shanachie Records

• Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy (1976)
• The Makem & Clancy Concert (1977)
• Two for the Early Dew (1978)
• The Makem and Clancy Collection (1980) – contains previously released material and singles
• Live At The National Concert Hall (1983)
• We've Come A Long Way (1986)

Bob Dylan

• The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Pat, Liam & Bobby Clancy sing "When The Ship Comes In" with Tommy Makem and Robbie O'Connell)

The Clancy Brothers (Tom, Pat, Bobby) and Robbie O'Connell

• Mini CD (3 inch disc)

The Clancy Brothers (Liam, Pat, Bobby) and Robbie O'Connell

• Older But No Wiser – Vanguard (1995)

Clancy, Evans, and Doherty

• 1996 – Shine on Brighter – Popular CD

Clancy, O'Connell & Clancy

Helvic Records

• Clancy, O'Connell & Clancy – (1997)
• The Wild And Wasteful Ocean – (1998)

Documentary movie

• 2009 – The Yellow Bittern: The life and times of Liam Clancy

Videos

• 1984 – The Story of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem – Shanchie
• 1984 – Reunion Concert: Belfast – Shanachie
• circa 1985 – Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest (1965) – Central Sun / Shanachie (reissue)
• 1997 – Farewell to Ireland – Pinnacle Vision
• 2007 – Yes...Those Were the Days: Liam Clancy – Live at the Olympia, Dublin – unknown distributor

*originally released in 1992 as "In Close Up: Volumes 1 and 2"

• 2007 – The Best of 'Hootenanny' – Shout!

YouTube video

• "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" (live) [1]

(VIDEO NOW REMOVED)