Neil O'Neill

About me:

.. Neil O'Neill, Scotch Melody Maker, Celtic Troubadour, Actor

I'm a native born Scotsman with three Irish grandparents... sing tenor, inherited from Charlie Duffin, maternal grandfather whose great tenor voice inspired and entertained the troops, his Regiment: The Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers, during WW I. He also played bagpipes and drums...my first inspiration when I was a wee lad. He sang everything in the Scots/Irish popular repertoire of his day. He especially loved the great John McCormack, and of course, oor ain lad, Robert Burns who lived a mere 20 miles away, in Ayrshire. Granda was born in Stevenston, Ayrshire in 1895.

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Passion for music/singing led me to play in various bands, as well as pick up a few instruments on the way: guitar, banjo, pennywhistle, piano harmonica and bass. Love the classic Rock and Roll era, Beatles, Stones, Eagles, Cream, Sting, but especially enjoy the great accoustic singer/songwriters of the Folk and Roots idiom. The Corries, Eric Bogle, Matt McGinn, Hamish Imlach, James Taylor, Paul Simon, The Clancy Bros, Kate Wolf, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, Stan Rogers, Runrig, Dougie McClean, as well as the great US folksters, Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Kris Krisofferson, Don McClean, Jim Croce, Greg Brown Pete Seegar, Ewan McColl and on...

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I've been so blessed to be a part of Bread & Roses org doing musical outreach in the San Francisco/ Bay Area, singing for involuntary shut-ins anywhere where people are confined. Music can reach, and open hearts and minds. It has healed me, as well as caring for the folks I've had the delight of singing with...If music be the food of love...play on! Shakes said...

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I recorded/released a compilation of Scottish/ Irish/ Roots music at the end of 2005, called the SCOTCH MELODY MAKER. It was launched at the Starry Plough Pub, in Berkeley, CA, to a sweet reception, and broadcast on the radio and over the web on the show Cover To Cover, with the great Jack Foley on KPFA 94.1FM. (Nov 15th, 2006). Listen to it...by googling me...its listed...with Esther Valentine... Neil O'Neill & the Celtic Tyger Or you can buy individual song tracks at Amie Street.

. Just in: LAS VEGAS CELTIC FESTIVAL, April 18-21, 2008. Costa Mesa Highland Games on Memorial Day Weekend. WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES...

As a professional actor I have a couple of film roles in process... .."http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmltZGIuY29tL25hbWUvbm0yMjc1MzYy"> IMDB.. Meanwhile, you can see a clip of Honest Man in my uploaded video at the top of the Myspace page.

FYI I was trained at ACT in San Francisco, studied in Tony Taccone's Master class and performed in 60 + productions-in the greater SF Bay Area...Shakespeare to the Modern playwrights. My first film role was a reporter opposite Jeff Bridges in Francis Coppola's movie, Tucker: A Man and his Dream... I have some film/theatre photos for your viewing curiosity... Ambition: Be happy, love the world, serve all...enjoy the abundant gifts...grace that moves within us and without us...

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