The Fureys
Encyclopedia
The Fureys are an Irish
male folk
band
of four brothers - Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George, from Ballyfermot, Dublin
. They have also been credited as The Fureys and Davey Arthur.
The group formed in 1978 and consisted initially of four brothers.
Prior to the band two of the brothers toured as a duo
known simply by their names as Eddie and Finbar Furey. Their brother Paul Furey had, together with Davey Arthur and Brendan Leeson, a band called The Buskers. Both were part of a successful tour through Germany
called the "Irish Folk Festival", first in 1974, where they performed as The Furey Brothers and later as The Furey Family. Here they were joined by their father Ted, a famous fiddler
, who was 73 at that time. Ted Furey had recorded a solo fiddle album Toss the Feathers released by the Outlet label in 1973.
In 1981, The Fureys released their most successful single
"When You Were Sweet Sixteen
", becoming a worldwide hit, reaching #14 on the UK Singles Chart
, #1 on the Irish Singles Chart and #9 on the Australian Singles Chart
. "The Green Fields of France" also gave them an Irish #1, remaining in the single charts for twenty eight weeks. They also had two Top 40 British albums called Golden Days and At the End of the Day.
Other notable songs include "Gallipoli", "The Red Rose Cafe", and "Steal Away". As of January 2008, the band is still recording and touring. In 2008 the band celebrated their 30th anniversary.
Finbar left the band to begin his own solo career and Eddie, George and Paul reformed with Davey Arthur to became a successful band. Paul Furey died of bowel cancer in 2002, with a memorial service also held for his family and friends in Melbourne
, Australia
.
All four of the brothers are married with children.
At this time too, Finbar was looking for a new whistle to replace a bamboo one he had played for years and asked his friend Bernard Overton to make one for him. After a summer of experimenting with Bernard doing the metal work and Finbar tuning and testing they came up with what became the Overton Low Whistle.
They won many accolades including single of the year by John Peel for their single of Gerry Rafferty's 'Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway.'
In 1969 Finbar was asked by Paddy Clancy to replace Tommy Makem who had just left the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem to pursue a solo career. He brought Eddie with him and added the 5 string banjo into his repertoire then alongside the pipes.After 3 years touring the world with the Clancy's Finbar and Eddie returned to their original duo format and toured Germany opening the first German 'Irish Folk Festival.'
In 1978 they asked brothers Paul and George with their band maate in 'The Buskers', Davey Arthur, to join them. And so the Fureys and Davey Arthur formed.
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...
male 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....
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of four brothers - Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George, from Ballyfermot, Dublin
Ballyfermot
Ballyfermot is a suburb in the city of Dublin.Celebrities such as the famous Furey Brothers and the brilliant Keenan family have all resided in Ballyfermot.Ireland, located 7 kilometres due west from the city centre, and to the south of the Phoenix Park...
. They have also been credited as The Fureys and Davey Arthur.
The group formed in 1978 and consisted initially of four brothers.
Prior to the band two of the brothers toured as a duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
known simply by their names as Eddie and Finbar Furey. Their brother Paul Furey had, together with Davey Arthur and Brendan Leeson, a band called The Buskers. Both were part of a successful tour through Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
called the "Irish Folk Festival", first in 1974, where they performed as The Furey Brothers and later as The Furey Family. Here they were joined by their father Ted, a famous fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
, who was 73 at that time. Ted Furey had recorded a solo fiddle album Toss the Feathers released by the Outlet label in 1973.
In 1981, The Fureys released their most successful single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"When You Were Sweet Sixteen
When You Were Sweet Sixteen
"When You Were Sweet Sixteen" is a popular song. It was written by James Thornton. The song was published in 1898. Its chorus:- Early recordings :*George J. Gaskin *Jere Mahoney *Henry Macdonough *J. W. Myers *Al Jolson...
", becoming a worldwide hit, reaching #14 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, #1 on the Irish Singles Chart and #9 on the Australian Singles Chart
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
. "The Green Fields of France" also gave them an Irish #1, remaining in the single charts for twenty eight weeks. They also had two Top 40 British albums called Golden Days and At the End of the Day.
Other notable songs include "Gallipoli", "The Red Rose Cafe", and "Steal Away". As of January 2008, the band is still recording and touring. In 2008 the band celebrated their 30th anniversary.
Finbar left the band to begin his own solo career and Eddie, George and Paul reformed with Davey Arthur to became a successful band. Paul Furey died of bowel cancer in 2002, with a memorial service also held for his family and friends in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 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...
.
All four of the brothers are married with children.
History
Finbar and Eddie Furey began playing and singing professionally at the age of nine when they busked on trains going to football matches, at race courses and everywhere they'd get an audience.Finbar with his father Ted, a fiddle player and Ronnie Drew began the famous trad music sessions at O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin. When Finbar was thirteen he got his first bag and chanter (a half set of pipes) and when he was fifteen he won the All Ireland junior championships for pipes. Within three years of this Finbar won twenty-three senior championships including three senior All Irelands and also won a couple of duet championships with brother Eddie. The two boys plus Ted Furey, their father, also won the Ulster senior trio championships and finally in 1966 Eddie and Finbar Furey won the international folk award in Tralee. Eddie And Finbar left Ireland for Edinburgh, Scotland in 1967 and fast became a leading folk act on the UK folk scene. Eddie played 6 & 12 string guitars, bhodran, mandolin,fiddle and vocals while Finbar played Uilleann Pipes and whistle. This was innovative as guitar was not seen as a trad instrument.At this time too, Finbar was looking for a new whistle to replace a bamboo one he had played for years and asked his friend Bernard Overton to make one for him. After a summer of experimenting with Bernard doing the metal work and Finbar tuning and testing they came up with what became the Overton Low Whistle.
They won many accolades including single of the year by John Peel for their single of Gerry Rafferty's 'Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway.'
In 1969 Finbar was asked by Paddy Clancy to replace Tommy Makem who had just left the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem to pursue a solo career. He brought Eddie with him and added the 5 string banjo into his repertoire then alongside the pipes.After 3 years touring the world with the Clancy's Finbar and Eddie returned to their original duo format and toured Germany opening the first German 'Irish Folk Festival.'
In 1978 they asked brothers Paul and George with their band maate in 'The Buskers', Davey Arthur, to join them. And so the Fureys and Davey Arthur formed.
External links
- Official website
- Discography at TheBalladeers.com
- Davey Arthur - official website
- Finbar Furey's website