Kevin Doherty
Encyclopedia
Kevin Doherty is a songwriter
, musician
and singer from Ireland
. He has played with various bands since the late 1980s and currently records and performs both as a solo artist and as a member of Four Men and a Dog
.
, near the most northerly point in Ireland. The background sounds to childhood
included the fine voices of his mother singing country songs and Irish ballads and his father singing opera and ‘crooning’ classics.
As a very young child of approximately six years old, Kevin began learning tin whistle
with Dinny McLaughlin, a renowned teacher of traditional Irish music and dance
. In the same class was Ciaran Tourish, now a member of the famous Irish traditional music group Altan. Kevin's talent was instantly obvious and both he and Ciaran were brought by Dinny to perform locally as the 'child prodigy' section of a local group of musicians.
As a teenager, Doherty took up the game of golf
; his father a golf professional. He quickly developed into one of the brightest prospects in the game in the country. However, around the age of fifteen or sixteen, a fateful encounter with the works of Bob Dylan
in a neighbour's house saw a dramatic change in direction back to music again. Blown away by what he heard, a guitar
was bought and notepad
s were quickly filled with the first songs. Early guidance on guitar playing was provided by talented local guitarist, Michael Gallinagh.
and visiting musicians such as Cathal Hayden
. Many of these names were to feature strongly in the years to come. Kevin also hit the road, learning what was fast becoming his trade, busking in Dublin, Galway
and London
among other places.
There had previously been a Buncrana based band, The Pyrotechnicos, which reformed in the mid to late 1980s with the shortened name 'The Pyros' and with the added younger talent of both Ciaran Tourish and Kevin Doherty. The band took the north of Ireland by storm, blowing audiences away with a punkish, electrified, amplified version of bluegrass
, folk
and country music
. The band featured Paul Rodden on five-string banjo, Laurence Doherty on percussion, Michael Gallinagh on guitar, Kevin on mandolin
and guitar, John Cutliffe
on bass and Ciaran Tourish on fiddle
. The band played several bluegrass and country standards at a blistering and technically bewildering pace, which had audiences stomping mad on the dance floors. Famously, one part of their set had Laurence play percussion on builder’s hard hats while they were worn by the other band members.
After The Pyrotechnicos, Kevin was soon back up and running again with a new band, The Gooseberries. Laurence again was the drummer
, along with Percy Robinson on pedal-steel, dobro
and guitars, Sean McCarron on saxophone
and Michael O'Boyce on bass. This became the stable line-up, but early appearances also had Ciaran Tourish or Martin McGinley
on fiddle. A big difference from The Pyros was that this time the main material played consisted of Kevin's original songs. These were complemented by the inclusion of songs by the likes of Hank Williams and Dwight Yoakam
. The band was a big hit live and ventured further afield in Ireland compared to The Pyros. Radio and television appearances also became part of the picture. The band were exceptional musicians and, somewhat similar to The Pyros, were well known for really getting a crowd going, as well as for the sensitive playing on Kevin's more downbeat numbers.
In the early 1990s The Gooseberries also went their separate ways and this was quickly followed by Kevin being asked to support Tanita Tikaram
on a U.K. tour, which he did successfully as a solo act. Shortly afterwards came a call from another group, Four Men and a Dog
. Mick (Black Dog) Daly (hence the band’s name), the original singer and guitar player, had left the band. Kevin was asked to replace him and they are still together in 2007, with a hiatus period in-between of a few years around the turn of the millennium. Four Men and a Dog could justifiably be described as one of the ‘super groups’ of traditional Irish and folk music. Each member is recognised as being among the most talented musicians, not just in Ireland, but world wide. The line-up currently consists of Cathal Hayden on fiddle and banjo, Gerry O’Connor on banjo and fiddle, Gino Lupari on bodhran
, percussion and vocals, Donal Murphy on accordion and Kevin on vocals and guitar. Previous line-ups included Conor Keane on accordion
and Brian McGrath on banjo and keyboards. Arty McGlynn
on guitar and Mairtin O’Connor on accordion also occasionally play with them.
have recorded six albums to date and have appeared at many of the world’s major festivals and venues. Their performances and recordings include supreme examples of the playing of Irish traditional music and a mix of country, folk, blues and americana, including original songs by Kevin. Two of the albums were recorded at the studio of Levon Helm
(The Band
) in Woodstock, New York. The Band, Kevin and Four Men and a Dog struck up a friendship after meeting up at some European festivals. The Band were among Kevin’s musical heroes and Levon, Rick Danko
and Garth Hudson
performed on the two Woodstock Four Men and a Dog albums.
During the Four Men and a Dog hiatus period referred to above, Kevin recorded two solo albums, Strange Weather and Sweet Water, as well as a limited edition EP, Morocco. Strange Weather was also recorded in Woodstock and featured contributions by members of The Band. The latter album, Sweet Water, featured other musical icons; James Delaney is a master of the keyboard and has played with the likes of Van Morrison and Paul Brady; Henry McCullough
is a genuine guitar legend in rock and folk music, probably most famously as a member of Paul McCartney’s Wings and the Joe Cocker Grease band. James and Henry are now regular collaborators with Kevin as he sustains both a solo career and life with Four Men and a Dog.
Other performers have acknowledged Kevin as a fine songwriter by recording his songs. The Band
recorded ‘Hawker’s’ as ‘Don’t Wait’ on what is seen as their final true ‘Band’ album, Jubilation. Mary Black
, Brendan Quinn, Adrian Dunbar
, The Crowmatix and Andrew Murray have also recorded his material. In addition, Kevin has appeared on the albums of others as a guest guitarist and/or vocalist.
Between touring, Kevin is mainly based in Dublin, Ireland and is known to visit his home place of Buncrana often.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and singer from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He has played with various bands since the late 1980s and currently records and performs both as a solo artist and as a member of Four Men and a Dog
Four Men and a Dog
Four Men and a Dog is an Irish traditional band that emerged in 1990 during the Belfast Folk Festival. The band plays Irish traditional music with a mixture of different other genres, including rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, swing, salsa, polka and even rap. They originally had their name because of...
.
Early life
Kevin Doherty was born around the late 1960s and grew up in the seaside town of Buncrana, County DonegalCounty Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, near the most northerly point in Ireland. The background sounds to childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
included the fine voices of his mother singing country songs and Irish ballads and his father singing opera and ‘crooning’ classics.
As a very young child of approximately six years old, Kevin began learning tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
with Dinny McLaughlin, a renowned teacher of traditional Irish music and dance
Irish dance
Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...
. In the same class was Ciaran Tourish, now a member of the famous Irish traditional music group Altan. Kevin's talent was instantly obvious and both he and Ciaran were brought by Dinny to perform locally as the 'child prodigy' section of a local group of musicians.
As a teenager, Doherty took up the game of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
; his father a golf professional. He quickly developed into one of the brightest prospects in the game in the country. However, around the age of fifteen or sixteen, a fateful encounter with the works of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
in a neighbour's house saw a dramatic change in direction back to music again. Blown away by what he heard, a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
was bought and notepad
Notepad
Notepad is a simple text editor for Microsoft Windows. It has been included in all versions of Microsoft Windows since Windows 1.0 in 1985.- Features :Notepad is a common text-only editor...
s were quickly filled with the first songs. Early guidance on guitar playing was provided by talented local guitarist, Michael Gallinagh.
Career
Kevin was soon playing regular sessions around Buncrana. The sessions were beacons for many very talented musicians. Music buffs travelled to hear Kevin reunited again with Ciaran Tourish and Dinny McLaughlin, as well as Paul Rodden, Michael Gallinagh, Laurence DohertyLaurence Doherty
Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty was an English tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty...
and visiting musicians such as Cathal Hayden
Cathal Hayden
-Biography:Cathal Sean Hayden is an Irish fiddle and banjo player of note. He was born on 13 July 1963, in the village of the Rock, Co Tyrone outside Pomeroy, an area immersed in traditional music. The third in the family of eight, he was born into a deep musical background. His father played the...
. Many of these names were to feature strongly in the years to come. Kevin also hit the road, learning what was fast becoming his trade, busking in Dublin, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
among other places.
There had previously been a Buncrana based band, The Pyrotechnicos, which reformed in the mid to late 1980s with the shortened name 'The Pyros' and with the added younger talent of both Ciaran Tourish and Kevin Doherty. The band took the north of Ireland by storm, blowing audiences away with a punkish, electrified, amplified version of bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. The band featured Paul Rodden on five-string banjo, Laurence Doherty on percussion, Michael Gallinagh on guitar, Kevin on mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and guitar, John Cutliffe
John Cutliffe
John Cutliffe is from Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland, but he now lives in Swannee,Georgia http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Cutliffe&action=editssee]]. John grew up playing Irish traditional and bluegrass music in the many pubs that dot the Irish countryside and has played with...
on bass and Ciaran Tourish on fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
. The band played several bluegrass and country standards at a blistering and technically bewildering pace, which had audiences stomping mad on the dance floors. Famously, one part of their set had Laurence play percussion on builder’s hard hats while they were worn by the other band members.
After The Pyrotechnicos, Kevin was soon back up and running again with a new band, The Gooseberries. Laurence again was the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, along with Percy Robinson on pedal-steel, dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
and guitars, Sean McCarron on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and Michael O'Boyce on bass. This became the stable line-up, but early appearances also had Ciaran Tourish or Martin McGinley
Martin McGinley
Martin McGinley, from Raphoe, County Donegal is an Irish traditional fiddle player and currently editor of the Derry Journal, an influential twice-weekly newspaper from Northern Ireland. He is a former presenter of the Pure Drop traditional music series on the Irish television station RTÉ, and has...
on fiddle. A big difference from The Pyros was that this time the main material played consisted of Kevin's original songs. These were complemented by the inclusion of songs by the likes of Hank Williams and Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
. The band was a big hit live and ventured further afield in Ireland compared to The Pyros. Radio and television appearances also became part of the picture. The band were exceptional musicians and, somewhat similar to The Pyros, were well known for really getting a crowd going, as well as for the sensitive playing on Kevin's more downbeat numbers.
In the early 1990s The Gooseberries also went their separate ways and this was quickly followed by Kevin being asked to support Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram is a British pop/folk singer-songwriter, best known for the hits "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, Ancient Heart...
on a U.K. tour, which he did successfully as a solo act. Shortly afterwards came a call from another group, Four Men and a Dog
Four Men and a Dog
Four Men and a Dog is an Irish traditional band that emerged in 1990 during the Belfast Folk Festival. The band plays Irish traditional music with a mixture of different other genres, including rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, swing, salsa, polka and even rap. They originally had their name because of...
. Mick (Black Dog) Daly (hence the band’s name), the original singer and guitar player, had left the band. Kevin was asked to replace him and they are still together in 2007, with a hiatus period in-between of a few years around the turn of the millennium. Four Men and a Dog could justifiably be described as one of the ‘super groups’ of traditional Irish and folk music. Each member is recognised as being among the most talented musicians, not just in Ireland, but world wide. The line-up currently consists of Cathal Hayden on fiddle and banjo, Gerry O’Connor on banjo and fiddle, Gino Lupari on bodhran
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
, percussion and vocals, Donal Murphy on accordion and Kevin on vocals and guitar. Previous line-ups included Conor Keane on accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and Brian McGrath on banjo and keyboards. Arty McGlynn
Arty McGlynn
Arty McGlynn is an Irish guitarist born in Omagh, County Tyrone. In addition to his solo work, he has collaborated with different notable groups such as Patrick Street, Planxty, Four Men and a Dog, De Dannan and the Van Morrison Band. He played guitar on the critically acclaimed 1989 Van Morrison...
on guitar and Mairtin O’Connor on accordion also occasionally play with them.
Current career
Four Men and a DogFour Men and a Dog
Four Men and a Dog is an Irish traditional band that emerged in 1990 during the Belfast Folk Festival. The band plays Irish traditional music with a mixture of different other genres, including rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, swing, salsa, polka and even rap. They originally had their name because of...
have recorded six albums to date and have appeared at many of the world’s major festivals and venues. Their performances and recordings include supreme examples of the playing of Irish traditional music and a mix of country, folk, blues and americana, including original songs by Kevin. Two of the albums were recorded at the studio of Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
(The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
) in Woodstock, New York. The Band, Kevin and Four Men and a Dog struck up a friendship after meeting up at some European festivals. The Band were among Kevin’s musical heroes and Levon, Rick Danko
Rick Danko
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
and Garth Hudson
Garth Hudson
Eric Garth Hudson is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. As the organist, keyboardist and saxophonist for Canadian-American rock group The Band, he was a principal architect of the group's unique sound...
performed on the two Woodstock Four Men and a Dog albums.
During the Four Men and a Dog hiatus period referred to above, Kevin recorded two solo albums, Strange Weather and Sweet Water, as well as a limited edition EP, Morocco. Strange Weather was also recorded in Woodstock and featured contributions by members of The Band. The latter album, Sweet Water, featured other musical icons; James Delaney is a master of the keyboard and has played with the likes of Van Morrison and Paul Brady; Henry McCullough
Henry McCullough
Henry McCullough Henry McCullough Henry McCullough (born Henry Campbell Liken McCullough, 21 July 1943, Portstewart, Northern Ireland is an Irish guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, who has played guitar in such bands as Sweeney's Men, Spooky Tooth, Paul McCartney & Wings, and The Grease Band. He...
is a genuine guitar legend in rock and folk music, probably most famously as a member of Paul McCartney’s Wings and the Joe Cocker Grease band. James and Henry are now regular collaborators with Kevin as he sustains both a solo career and life with Four Men and a Dog.
Other performers have acknowledged Kevin as a fine songwriter by recording his songs. The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
recorded ‘Hawker’s’ as ‘Don’t Wait’ on what is seen as their final true ‘Band’ album, Jubilation. Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
, Brendan Quinn, Adrian Dunbar
Adrian Dunbar
Adrian Dunbar is an actor from Northern Ireland, best known for his television and theatre work. Dunbar co-wrote and starred in the 1991 film, Hear My Song, nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTA awards.-Personal life:...
, The Crowmatix and Andrew Murray have also recorded his material. In addition, Kevin has appeared on the albums of others as a guest guitarist and/or vocalist.
Between touring, Kevin is mainly based in Dublin, Ireland and is known to visit his home place of Buncrana often.