I guess you could compare today’s “Star Search” or “American Idol” to the program “Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts”, except it was on the radio. It seems that many of the major stars of the 1950’s were discovered on that program.
The year 1955 was no different. Carmel Quinn (born in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish Entertainer who has been featured on Broadway, television, and radio since arriving in the United States. She was also discovered on the Godfrey program.
When she first started out people compared her to Judy Garland; her beautiful red hair becoming her trade mark. In New York she is synonymous with Saint Patrick’s Day. For the last 25 years her concerts, on the holiday, at Carnegie Hall have sold out making her a legend in her own time.
In 1991 she was the second woman to receive the prestigious John F. Kennedy Award for excellence. Currently she is still living and continues to perform her cabaret show through the United States as well as to maintain a commitment to many American and Irish charities.
The beautiful Carmel Quinn can be found at http://www.carmelquinn.com/.
I’ve chosen today to post “Danny Boy” as sung by Carmel Quinn. The lyric was originally written for a different tune in 1910 by Frederick Weatherly, who was a lawyer from England. This is a traditional Irish song who’s lyric is set to the tune “the Derry Air’ or “the Londonderry Air”. In 1913 he modified the lyric to fit “Derry”, originally published in 1855. Originally the tune, with no lyric, was published in the book “Ancient Music of Ireland” complied and published by the early collector George Petrie (1799-1866). The then untitled melody, was supplied by Miss Jane Ross of Limavady, County Derry…hence the tune’s original name minus lyric “The London DERRY Air.”
In the 30’s it was speculated that Jane Ross got the tune from a fiddler named Blind Jimmy McCurry, who was known to have been active in Limavady at the time. No one knows for sure. Though the McCurry family would like us to continue to believe it was Jimmy who gave the music that was presented to Ross. I happen to like that story too…
The song was originally written to be a message from a woman to man. In 1918 Fred Weatherly gave the alternative “Eily Dear” for male singers in his 1918 authorized lyric. Now the song is more often sung by men it seems, rather than by women. Some interpret the song as a message from a parent to a son going off to war or leaving as part of the Diaspora or maybe an older man to a younger man who may or may not be related. The song has also closed many funerals for fire fighters, police officers and for those of Irish decent.
This version of “Danny Boy” is Carmel’s sophomore effort from her 1950’s album, “Carmel Quinn Sings old Irish-American Favorites.” Though we’ve nobody to say good-bye to…we’d love if you’d say hello to Carmel Quinn.
Oh Danny boy…..
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well…I have never heard of Carmel Quinn and I can’t say that I would compare her to Judy Garland but she sounds great doing Danny Boy. Thanks.
I agree. She has her own style and stands her ground in her own way.
I read that in an old article from the 50’s that had her compared to Judy. It mentoned in featured polls that she would be one day as big as Judy with comparable talent and stage presence.
She’s still singing today. She has her nitch, but it’s kind of gone the route of being known for irish songs and not for contemporary music.
The comparisons of Carmel Quinn to Judy Garland in the 1950s and 1960s was due to Quinn’s very strong and emotional voice. She has been referred to as the ‘Irish’ Judy Garland (Garland was actually Irish-American) because of her strong fan base and her performing style which focuses mainly on Irish traditional and Irish Rebel songs that have very dramatic and often sad lyrics. Her Carnegie Album is a masterpiece and demonstrates the comparison well. Her rendition of ‘Rebel’ songs are rousing and she is teh best female singe to do them because of her strong voice.She alwyas got standing ovations and requests for encores at her concerts ala Judy Garland. She had a midly successfull recording career in the 50s and 60s with several albums of pop songs doing well and was often seen on television shows of teh era but her forte is definetly the Irish ballad.
Carmel Quinn’s star potential was not fully achieved – she had successes and was always working but I think because of her association with Ireland and Irish songs she did not attract a wider audience and this limited her career – when she was young during the 50s and 60s she was quite beautiful and entertaining when on television. I think she could have become the Irish Judy Garland had she branched out more, she became a bit corney but did have a good strong voice and style.