This is a very special blog for me as it is my announcement that I will be doing a tour with Danny Ellis, starting on August 22,  covering Kerry,  Clare,  Galway and finishing in Ennis.

I am so proud that Danny and Liz have accepted my invitation to bring their friends and fans to Ireland with me.   It will be very special to bring an Irish artist HOME and for me to show his people MY IRELAND.

Danny is a very special person who went through a horrible childhood in one of Ireland’s most infamous orphanages/correctional schools,  ARTANE.   His attitude now is astounding,  it’s so positive.  He is a shining example of how someone can conquer adversity.   I am not articulate enough to explain fully what Danny has achieved with his life.   I will try to explain anyway.

Danny left Artane in 1963 but had  music in his soul as he became a member of the famous ARTANE BOYS BAND.   He later spent many years as a session musician and singer at the famous Abbey Road recording Studies, (The  Beatles recorded there)  He also toured and played with Graham Parker and the Rumor and The Foundations,  among others.   He then wrote and recorded an album called 800 Voices about his life in Artane.   This is the most incredible piece of work I have ever heard.   I am listening to it as I write.   When I listen to it I usually don’t know whether to laugh or cry,  and usually I do both.  Danny won 2009 LYRICIST OF THE YEAR AT THE JUST PLAIN FOLKS MUSIC AWARDS IN NASHVILLE, TN for this album.

In Danny’s words,  his mother and father separated and in 1955 his mother got ill,  so all 5 children were put in different orphanages in Dublin.  In fact his twin brothers were in the same orphanage as him  and he did not learn this until the day he was leaving. (He had played with them for years,  not knowing this)  He spent 8 years in Artane,  which at that time was changing from correctional school to an orphanage,  so there was a mix of poor kids and criminal type kids,  so that led to some very difficult times for young boys.  But Danny says that music was his saving grace and this stayed with him all his life.   I will just let you see the first four lines of track number one on 800 VOICES

800 voices echo, cross the grey playground

Shouts of fights and God knows what I still can hear that sound

With their hobnail boots and rough tweeds, angry seas of brown and green

The toughest God forsaken bunch that I have ever seen

Please have a look at Danny’s web site at www.dannyellismusic.com     You will be amazed,  I was and still am.

Please contact Danny/Liz if you would like to see Ireland with him.