Brian Kennedy in Beggy's this week

This week sees Brian Kennedy appear in Beggy’s Live Music Venue in Navan. Kennedy survived a childhood on the infamous Falls Road, West Belfast at the height of its hellish history against all the odds to carve an extraordinary career in music. In his own words: “I shouldn’t have become a singer really, given where and how my life started, but my voice had other plans and saved me in the end.”
That voice changed the course of his whole life forever. From harmonising with ambulances as a child to finally overcoming stage fright, his gradual ascent was nothing short of miraculous. He busked on the dangerous streets of his hometown whatever the political weather until a sudden escape to London when 18 saw him surviving in the only way he knew how. He sang unaccompanied in the underground stations and outside the Dominion Theatre, sometimes literally in order to eat and until he finally saved up enough money for a guitar. He lived in various illegal squats before eventually being discovered by Simon Fuller. His constant touring from Ireland and the UK to Australia, Germany and the USA, including the major global festivals, has resulted in an every-growing international fan base the old fashioned way over a phenomenal twenty-year career in the rollercoaster ride that is the unpredictable music industry.
His work with Van Morrison has been well documented. The Belfast legend invited Brian to a rehearsal one day that resulted in him being featured as guest lead singer on the now unforgettable ‘Blues & Soul Revue’. Courtesy of Van’s continuing mentoring and generosity, Brian ended up sharing vocal duties on stages across the globe over a six-year period with Morrison and a breathtaking cast of some of the greatest artists in history, including Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker.
Throughout the relentless touring with Morrison, Brian somehow managed to maintain a stream of chart-making albums. ‘A Better Man’ (1996) and ‘Now That I Know What I Want’ (1999), both went platinum at number one and earned him the awards of Irish Best Male Artist and Irish Best Male Album, as did the highly acclaimed ‘Homebird’ (2006) and cover album ‘Interpretations’ (2008). But it was Brian’s heart wrenching performance of ‘You Raise Me Up’ at the funeral of football legend George Best that earned him a spot in the top five of the UK charts.
Brian’s recent album ‘Voice’ entered the album chart at number three and the single ‘Best Days’ is his lyrical reaction to the recession. The album only cements Brian’s reputation as an exceptional vocalist, guitar player, songwriter and interpreter. Her appears in Beggy’s in Thursday 25th August.