Malachi Cush
Encyclopedia
Malachi Cush, also recording as Malachi, (born 23 September 1980), is a singer/songwriter
from Donaghmore, a small village in County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. Coming from a large musical family, he started singing and playing Irish traditional music
at an early age. He appeared on the first series of Fame Academy
and has had chart
success in the UK
and Thailand
. His musical influences also included The Pogues
, U2
and Van Morrison
. Malachi is now married.
in 2002. This was the first time he had ever left Ireland. During the show he recorded several tracks which later appeared on the album Fame Academy Finalists, released in December 2002.
he took part in a tour of the UK together with other finalists and was given a solo recording contract with Mercury
. In March 2003, '"Keep Me A Secret" sung by Ainslie Henderson
, a song that he co-wrote on the show with Henderson and Sinéad Quinn
, charted at no 5 in the UK. His debut album
Malachi, (released on the UMTV
label) consisting mainly of covers and songs he had sung on the show, came out in March 2003, and was the first solo album to be released from any of the Fame Academy contestants. It reached 17 in the UK charts and sales topped 100,000, for which he received a silver disc. The first single from this album, the self-penned "Just Say You Love Me", failed to chart significantly in the UK but reached number 1 in Thailand
. In November 2003 he visited Bangkok
where he performed at several concerts, met fans and took part in radio and TV interviews.
On his return he was asked to support the BBC Children in Need
Project along with Girls Aloud
and Westlife
at the live nationwide broadcast from the Odyssey Arena in Belfast
. He was also appointed a Patron of the autism
charity "Impact Trust" and took part in many of their fund raising activities.
Early in 2004 he made a solo tour of Northern Ireland, which included a concert at the Waterfront Hall
, Belfast
. He was awarded Best Irish Newcomer at the Irish World Awards in London in February 2005.
In December 2005 he took part in the Young Voices concert at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, performing with the African Children's Choir
and other young singers to a capacity audience of 8,000. He also played the lead role of Charles Charming in pantomime
for the Bardic Theatre company in Northern Ireland.
After parting with Mercury
, he signed with the specialist Irish music label "Emerald
". In October 2005, under the name "Malachi", he released his second album, Celtic Heartbeat (Where the Heart Is), consisting of traditional Irish songs. He has also recorded two songs which appear on George Best
- The Tribute Album.
On 18 February 2007, "Until We Meet Again", a song co-written by Cush and fellow Irish songwriter Don Maskill, was voted runner-up in the Eurosong 2007, the show to select Ireland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
. He released his third album New Day in November 2007 and was joined on the album tour by Joanne Cash, sister of Johnny Cash
. Subsequently Cash recorded a song co-written by Cush and Garth McConaghie at Amberville Studios and invited Cush out to Nasvhille to promote the song at the GMA week in April that year.
Cush now works mainly in Northern Ireland
, performing live and supporting many charitable
projects.
, he received an award for most popular radio presenter 2005.
Cush presents a daily radio show, Six Cafe for Six FM
and the Sunday Juke Box Show.
Malachi currently works for UTV Belfast presenting The Seven Thirty Show and continues to enjoy a huge following for his music.
Track listing
Celtic Heartbeat (Where The Heart Is) released October 2005 (Emerald)
Track listing
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...
from Donaghmore, a small village in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Coming from a large musical family, he started singing and playing Irish traditional music
Folk music of Ireland
The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Ireland.-History:...
at an early age. He appeared on the first series of Fame Academy
Fame Academy
Fame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one...
and has had chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. His musical influences also included The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
. Malachi is now married.
Fame Academy
Malachi was working as a gas fitter when he auditioned and was selected to appear on the first series of Fame AcademyFame Academy
Fame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one...
in 2002. This was the first time he had ever left Ireland. During the show he recorded several tracks which later appeared on the album Fame Academy Finalists, released in December 2002.
Musical career
After coming fifth on Fame AcademyFame Academy
Fame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one...
he took part in a tour of the UK together with other finalists and was given a solo recording contract with Mercury
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. In March 2003, '"Keep Me A Secret" sung by Ainslie Henderson
Ainslie Henderson
Ainslie Thomas Henderson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He is best known for his appearance on the BBC's television programme, Fame Academy, and his subsequent Top 5 UK single, "Keep Me A Secret"...
, a song that he co-wrote on the show with Henderson and Sinéad Quinn
Sinéad Quinn
Sinéad Quinn and graduate of the University of Hull was a contestant in the first series of the UK BBC TV series Fame Academy in 2002. She later went on to sign a recording contract, released an album, and had a #2 UK single. She is married to Paul Stewart, drummer with The Feeling...
, charted at no 5 in the UK. His debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Malachi, (released on the UMTV
UMTV
Universal Music TV is a London-based record label that was formed in 1998.Owned by Universal Music Group, UMTV specialises in producing compilation albums and occasional single releases...
label) consisting mainly of covers and songs he had sung on the show, came out in March 2003, and was the first solo album to be released from any of the Fame Academy contestants. It reached 17 in the UK charts and sales topped 100,000, for which he received a silver disc. The first single from this album, the self-penned "Just Say You Love Me", failed to chart significantly in the UK but reached number 1 in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. In November 2003 he visited Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
where he performed at several concerts, met fans and took part in radio and TV interviews.
On his return he was asked to support the BBC Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
Project along with Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
and Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
at the live nationwide broadcast from the Odyssey Arena in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He was also appointed a Patron of the autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
charity "Impact Trust" and took part in many of their fund raising activities.
Early in 2004 he made a solo tour of Northern Ireland, which included a concert at the Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He was awarded Best Irish Newcomer at the Irish World Awards in London in February 2005.
In December 2005 he took part in the Young Voices concert at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, performing with the African Children's Choir
African Children's Choir
The African Children's Choir is a large choir made up of children ages 7 to 12 from several African nations. Since its inception, the choir has included children from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana...
and other young singers to a capacity audience of 8,000. He also played the lead role of Charles Charming in pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
for the Bardic Theatre company in Northern Ireland.
After parting with Mercury
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, he signed with the specialist Irish music label "Emerald
Emerald Music
Emerald Music is an independent record label specialising in Irish, Scottish and Celtic music. It is based in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.-Background:...
". In October 2005, under the name "Malachi", he released his second album, Celtic Heartbeat (Where the Heart Is), consisting of traditional Irish songs. He has also recorded two songs which appear on George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
- The Tribute Album.
On 18 February 2007, "Until We Meet Again", a song co-written by Cush and fellow Irish songwriter Don Maskill, was voted runner-up in the Eurosong 2007, the show to select Ireland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
. He released his third album New Day in November 2007 and was joined on the album tour by Joanne Cash, sister of Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. Subsequently Cash recorded a song co-written by Cush and Garth McConaghie at Amberville Studios and invited Cush out to Nasvhille to promote the song at the GMA week in April that year.
Cush now works mainly in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, performing live and supporting many charitable
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
projects.
Presenting career
After acting as guest presenter on BBC Radio UlsterBBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
, he received an award for most popular radio presenter 2005.
Cush presents a daily radio show, Six Cafe for Six FM
Six FM
Six FM is a radio station based in Cookstown, County Tyrone. It broadcasts on 106 & 107.2 FM to the Mid Ulster region of Northern Ireland plus other areas, or more specifically East Tyrone, South Londonderry and North Armagh. The station broadcasts a mix of news, sport, music and community...
and the Sunday Juke Box Show.
Malachi currently works for UTV Belfast presenting The Seven Thirty Show and continues to enjoy a huge following for his music.
Albums
Malachi released March 2003 (UMTV) Number 17 UKUK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
Track listing
- I Don't Know Why
- Fields Of Gold
- Just Say You Love Me
- All I Want is A Cup of Tea
- Baby I'm A Want You
- Amazed
- Have I Told You Lately
- Eyes of Blue
- The Dance
- Vincent
- Something
- How Can I Tell You
- You're The One (Featuring Sinéad Quinn)
- Shenandoah
Celtic Heartbeat (Where The Heart Is) released October 2005 (Emerald)
Track listing
- I Know My Love
- Spancil Hill
- Carrickfergus
- Who Are You
- John O'Dreams
- Lakes Of Ponchartrain
- She Moved Thru The Fair
- Galway Bay
- Cliffs Of Dooneen
- Curragh Of Kildare
- Raggle Taggle Gypsy
- The Ferryman
- The Parting GlassThe Parting Glass"The Parting Glass" is an Irish traditional song, often sung at the end of a gathering of friends. It was allegedly the most popular song sung in both Scotland and Ireland before Robert Burns wrote "Auld Lang Syne"....