Frank Hennessy
Encyclopedia
Frank Hennessy is a Welsh
folk
singer and radio presenter.
Born into Cardiff's Irish
community, Hennessy was used to performance in front of his family by the time his father gave him a guitar aged 13. Although an apprentice at the time at an electrical contractor, after winning Cardiff Council
's 1966 "Spotlight on Youth" talent competition with friend Dave Burns, the pair were persuaded to go professional under the name The Hennessys
.
They relocated to Ireland
, and developed their sound with Paul Powell. As all three were Welsh, they developed a more Welsh sound and Welsh language
base, creating local favourites "Farewell to the Rhondda" (about the decline of the mining industry in Wales and its social consequences), "Tiger Bay" (about emigration from Tiger Bay
, the Dockland district of Cardiff) and the capital's anthem "Cardiff Born."
Hennessy's own musical compositions have been recorded by a wide range of artists such as The Furies, Foster and Allen, Daniel O'Donnell
, Diarmuid O'Leary and the Bards and Max Boyce
. One of his songs brought Hennessy a number one slot in the Irish Charts when Daniel O'Donnell recorded The Old Dungarvan Oak, a version of Hennessy's The Old Carmarthen Oak.
Hennessy took a break from the music industry in the early 1970s to get married and have a family. In 1978 he was asked to present a programme for the new Cardiff independent radio station CBC
, a role he greatly enjoyed. After CBC's collapse and takeover, in 1984, BBC Radio Wales
invited Hennessy to act as a stand-in presenter. He also created and presented television
programs including Frank Hennessy's Ireland (2000); Way Out West (1998) (tracing the roots of Cajun
, Appalachian and Cape Breton
music);, and Way Down Under, which took a Celtic
look at the music and culture of Australia
.
Hennessy currently presents BBC Radio Wales' award winning folk roots and acoustic music show Celtic Heartbeat, and for many years co-hosted the Sunday evening programme I'll Show You Mine with rugby union
legend Ray Gravell
until his death in 2007. Gravell was replaced by singer Amy Wadge
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer and radio presenter.
Born into Cardiff's Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
community, Hennessy was used to performance in front of his family by the time his father gave him a guitar aged 13. Although an apprentice at the time at an electrical contractor, after winning Cardiff Council
Cardiff Council
The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council consists of 75 councillors, representing 29 electoral wards. The authority is properly styled as The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff or in...
's 1966 "Spotlight on Youth" talent competition with friend Dave Burns, the pair were persuaded to go professional under the name The Hennessys
The Hennessys
The Hennessys are one of Wales' foremost traditional folk music groups.In 1966 Frank Hennessy and Dave Burns , both from Cardiff's Irish community, won a talent competition organised by Cardiff City Council which persuaded them to take up music professionally shortly afterwards, adding Paul Powell ...
.
They relocated to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and developed their sound with Paul Powell. As all three were Welsh, they developed a more Welsh sound and Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
base, creating local favourites "Farewell to the Rhondda" (about the decline of the mining industry in Wales and its social consequences), "Tiger Bay" (about emigration from Tiger Bay
Tiger Bay
Tiger Bay was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. It was re-branded as Cardiff Bay following the building of the Cardiff Barrage which dams the tidal rivers Ely and Taff to create a body of water.-History:...
, the Dockland district of Cardiff) and the capital's anthem "Cardiff Born."
Hennessy's own musical compositions have been recorded by a wide range of artists such as The Furies, Foster and Allen, Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel O'Donnell (Irish singer)
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US. He is known for his close relationship with his...
, Diarmuid O'Leary and the Bards and Max Boyce
Max Boyce
Maxwell Boyce MBE is a Welsh comedian, singer and former coal miner. He rose to fame during the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in the mining communities of South Wales...
. One of his songs brought Hennessy a number one slot in the Irish Charts when Daniel O'Donnell recorded The Old Dungarvan Oak, a version of Hennessy's The Old Carmarthen Oak.
Hennessy took a break from the music industry in the early 1970s to get married and have a family. In 1978 he was asked to present a programme for the new Cardiff independent radio station CBC
Red Dragon FM
Capital South Wales is a British independent local radio station broadcasting from Cardiff Bay . The station serves Cardiff, Newport and the surrounding areas, broadcasting to a potential audience of around 1 million people...
, a role he greatly enjoyed. After CBC's collapse and takeover, in 1984, BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
invited Hennessy to act as a stand-in presenter. He also created and presented television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs including Frank Hennessy's Ireland (2000); Way Out West (1998) (tracing the roots of Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
, Appalachian and Cape Breton
Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
music);, and Way Down Under, which took a Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
look at the music and culture of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Hennessy currently presents BBC Radio Wales' award winning folk roots and acoustic music show Celtic Heartbeat, and for many years co-hosted the Sunday evening programme I'll Show You Mine with rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
legend Ray Gravell
Ray Gravell
Raymond William Robert "Ray" Gravell was a Welsh rugby union centre who played club rugby for Llanelli RFC. At international level Gravell earned 23 caps for Wales and was selected for the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa.In his later career he would become a respected broadcaster and...
until his death in 2007. Gravell was replaced by singer Amy Wadge
Amy Wadge
-Early life and musical beginnings:Amy Wadge was born and brought up in Backwell, a small village just outside Bristol, England. Her father's passion for music influenced Amy enormously and she was exposed to the sounds of everyone from The Beatles to Elton John, Pink Floyd to Joni Mitchell, from...
.