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Charlie McGettigan - A Profile.
Charlie McGettigan started his musical career in the 1960s heavily influenced by artists like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and all the high profile names of that period. He played everything from ballrooms to the then emerging pub scene so that he could gain experience at all levels of the entertainment industry. When he moved to Dublin in 1968 he honed in on the thriving folk scene there at that time. His influences then were people like Paul Brady, Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine and, having played electric guitar up to then, he purchased his first acoustic guitar concentrating on developing the finger picking style, which is now his stock in trade.
Moving to the rural environment of Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim in 1973, Charlie formed the highly successful Jargon group, which went on to win the prestigious Letterkenny Folk Festival, following in the footsteps of bands like Clannad and Pumpkinhead. This win led to a recording contract with Polygram records and the release of Jargon's first single Bailieboro and Me. The band went on to record two more singles and then Charlie went on to pursue a solo career.
During the following years Charlie worked with artists like Maura O Connell and Eleanor Shanley who both recorded many of Charlies songs including I dont know how you do it, Feet of a dancer, A bed for the night, If anything happened to you and others. He released two solo albums - Songs of the night and Charlie McGettigan - before joining forces with Paul Harrington and Brendan Graham to win the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest with Rock n Roll Kids. He recorded Rock n Roll Kids The Album with Paul Harrington but the duo went their separate ways shortly after its release.
Charlie has since pursued a solo career releasing the albums , In Your Old Room and Family Matters. He tours extensively both In Ireland and in many other countries. His songs have been recorded by many other artists including De Dannan, Mary and Frances Black, Ray Lynam, Daniel O Donnell, Hal Ketchum, Maura O Connell and Eleanor Shanley to name but a few.
These days Charlie tours regularly In Ireland and in other countries, in a solo capacity and with Irish comedy great, Niall Toibin. Down the years he has made many TV appearances in Ireland and elsewhere and has presented his own TV and radio specials for RTE and the BBC.
In November 2005 Charlie travelled to Nashville, Tennessee to work with the legendary producer Bil Vorndick. With Bil he recorded an album of thirteen tracks for release in September 2006. Bil has been nominated for no less than 42 Grammy Awards and has worked with artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Marty Robbins, James Taylor and Alison Krauss.
Top acoustic musicians, Randy Kohrs ( Dobro) Aubrie Hainie (Fiddle/Mandolin), Mark Fain (Bass) Pete Huttlinger (Guitars), Sam Levine(Clarinet), Pat McInerney (Drums/ Percussion), Patti Mitchell and Chip Davis (Vocals) participated in the recordings over a four-day live session. The album contains new songs by Charlie and some written in collaboration with other writers.
Charlie presents his own radio programme " The Saturday Connection" on Shannonside/ Northern Sound Radio every Saturday between 10am and 12.00 noon. The programme is an eclectic mix of music, what's on and sport with special guests every week playing and singing live on the show. Previous guests have included Guy Clark, Jerry Douglas,Eleanor Shanley, Kieran Goss, Bela Fleck and many others. You can receive Shannonside / Northern Sound on FM 94.8, FM 97.2 and FM 104.1 or on the web www.shannonside.ie or www.northernsound.ie.
Hi Charlie, thanks for the compliment! "The last pint is a beautiful song . I love your music! You hope that people like it...., well, i do! Greetings, Peggy
Wonderful to meet you Charlie! Thank you for the very compliment! Love your music,sounds amazing! I hope all is well and you are having a great week! Helen xxx
congratulations on your fine words on the lunchtime news......
we ve been talking about these things in recent years but found ourselves completely ignored by the 'dublin based media' who seemed content to ignore all the warning signs of impending recession.....
we called our last album 'closed forever' as the rural villages/towns we were raised in, have been destroyed by the neo-liberal capitalist economic policies of recent 'governments': post offices, garda stations, telephone boxes, corner shops etc etc all gone, thus destroying rural irish life......
hopefully this recession will lead to some clear thinking and change of direction in goverment thinking: but with NAMA & bank bail-outs etc its hard know.....
anyway, fair play for having the courage to say what you said....
Christmas is coming soon. Are you looking for a Christmas present and would like to help handicapped children? Than please request the list of donations in kind from HelpCharity, www.MySpace.com/HelpCharity , by sending me an e-mail at Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de . Many donations in kind are autographed.
If you don't have the chance to request the list of donations in kind, please add HelpCharity to your Top Friends!
Thanks for helping me to support handicapped children!
Christian
Founder of HelpCharity Editor & Journalist for Country Music Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany Phone: ++49 (0) 6101 544613 Mobil: ++49 (0) 171 6903352 E-Mail: Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de Internet: www.MySpace.com/HelpCharity Internet: www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka
Hi Charlie , How are you , I am heading over to Ireland soon to meet Eamon O Moainaigh in Limerick will be going to Dublin also be good to catch up . We are over fron the 9th to 15th November should be around your way on the 11th . Its a holiday but Eamon is trying to set up some interviews and a jam session somewhere :)
Charlie-I can't believe you wrote Feet of a Dancer! That song was taught to me along with hundreds and hundreds of summer-camp campers in New Hampshire back when I was a counselor in 1994. I've been singing it to my kids ever since...wow that's cool!Hey thanks for the add!
Thanx Bunches for the Friendship. Please sign up to be a Fan to help keep the Netty Mac Train Chuggin'. This site is amazing! THIS SITE IS A MUSICIANS BEST FRIEND! It is rated by # page visits, # songs played, # of new fans - the higher the ranking the higher the odds of the Music Industry Execs will notice you. Cheerz & have a HUGE day!!
Im so happy to have discovered your songs I looked for your homepage to no avail, so Im guessing you are writing instead of performing. Light a penny candle is my favourite song at present. great great music. Simon
Hi Charlie,Ive always been a big fan of your singing and your song writing as was also my late uncle tommy makem.maybe some day our paths will cross. keep up the great work.
Charlie, I passed on your kind request to Ruth. I love working with The Molly Hicks, and we do a lot of festivals here in Ireland and were very busy during the Volvo Galway Ocean Races ... I think we did something like 18 shows just in that one period, so we got really tight! I'll get you a recording after we mix it properly at Gurney's. It's all good, buddy!
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