Will Millar
Encyclopedia
Will Millar is an Irish-Canadian singer best known as a co-founding member of The Irish Rovers
. Until his departure in 1995, he was the group's front man. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin and tin whistle
.
Born in Ballymena
, County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
, Millar and his sister Sandra Beech
performed as The Millar Kids before the family emigrated to Canada. Millar formed a Calypso Band, Kalypso Kews, that performed for two years in Toronto's Yonge Street at the Calypso Club. Millar moved to Calgary and hosted a children's TV show as well as forming an Irish folk trio.
In the 1960s, Millar invited his brother George
, his cousin Joe and Jimmy Ferguson
to stay with him in Calgary. He brought them on his TV show and started performing with them at Calgary's first folk club, The Depression. Under the guidance of Les Weinstein, Millar's manager, he took the new group to San Francisco and after an audition they made the Purple Onion in San Francisco and the Ice House in Pasadena their home base club. In 1968, the group's recording of the Shel Silverstein
song "The Unicorn
" went to #7 on the Billboard pop chart in the U.S. and became the Irish Rovers' signature song.
In 1995, Millar filed suit against his former bandmates and their lawyer, claiming they conspired to remove him from the band and had misappropriated royalties he was owed.
In 1996, Millar formed a new band called Some Mad Irishmen and released two CDs and toured extensively with his creation of the stage production of "Ireland..where the song and dance began". He built a recording studio with his friend John Ellis and recorded a children's CD on the Attic label. He also appeared semi-regularly on The Red Green Show
as Jimmy McVeigh, a postman who was trying to repair a boat.
Since his departure from the Irish Rovers, Millar produced six solo albums. Four Celtic instrmental CDs were released by Chacra Music. 1. The Lark in the Clear Aire 2. Celtic Seasons 3. Celtic Reverie 4. Journey of the Celt. Two of these albums went Gold in Canada. Millar has published two books, Children of the Unicorn (published by McClelland and Stewart) and Messing About in Boats (published by Whitecap Publishers). The latter made it to the top ten in The Globe and Mail
s non-fiction list.
Millar is also an oil painter with paintings in galleries in Ireland and British Columbia.share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AcOGThm4ctWT0Y
The Irish Rovers
The Irish Rovers is a Canadian Irish folk group created in 1963 and named after the traditional song "The Irish Rover". The group is best known for their international television series, and renditions of traditional Irish drinking songs, as well as early hits, Shel Silverstein's "The Unicorn",...
. Until his departure in 1995, he was the group's front man. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin and tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
.
Born in Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Millar and his sister Sandra Beech
Sandra Beech
Sandra Beech is a Canadian children's musician. She was a member of the family music group The Musical Millars after relocating to Canada in 1953...
performed as The Millar Kids before the family emigrated to Canada. Millar formed a Calypso Band, Kalypso Kews, that performed for two years in Toronto's Yonge Street at the Calypso Club. Millar moved to Calgary and hosted a children's TV show as well as forming an Irish folk trio.
In the 1960s, Millar invited his brother George
George Millar (singer)
George Millar, is a singer/songwriter and guitarist with the Irish-Canadian music group The Irish Rovers.George was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, ca. 1947, the brother of Will Millar and Sandra Beech. As children, they performed as "The Millar Kids" in Ireland, before the family emigrated to...
, his cousin Joe and Jimmy Ferguson
Jimmy Ferguson
James Francis "Jimmy" Ferguson was a founding member of the Irish-Canadian folk group The Irish Rovers. He was the only member who did not play an instrument....
to stay with him in Calgary. He brought them on his TV show and started performing with them at Calgary's first folk club, The Depression. Under the guidance of Les Weinstein, Millar's manager, he took the new group to San Francisco and after an audition they made the Purple Onion in San Francisco and the Ice House in Pasadena their home base club. In 1968, the group's recording of the Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
song "The Unicorn
The Unicorn (song)
The Unicorn is a 1968 hit song by Canadian band The Irish Rovers from their album of the same name. It was written by Shel Silverstein and remains one of the best-known songs of the band's long career. It sold 8 million copies worldwide and reached #7 on the US charts and can still be heard...
" went to #7 on the Billboard pop chart in the U.S. and became the Irish Rovers' signature song.
In 1995, Millar filed suit against his former bandmates and their lawyer, claiming they conspired to remove him from the band and had misappropriated royalties he was owed.
In 1996, Millar formed a new band called Some Mad Irishmen and released two CDs and toured extensively with his creation of the stage production of "Ireland..where the song and dance began". He built a recording studio with his friend John Ellis and recorded a children's CD on the Attic label. He also appeared semi-regularly on The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show is a Canadian television comedy that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television, and on Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC...
as Jimmy McVeigh, a postman who was trying to repair a boat.
Since his departure from the Irish Rovers, Millar produced six solo albums. Four Celtic instrmental CDs were released by Chacra Music. 1. The Lark in the Clear Aire 2. Celtic Seasons 3. Celtic Reverie 4. Journey of the Celt. Two of these albums went Gold in Canada. Millar has published two books, Children of the Unicorn (published by McClelland and Stewart) and Messing About in Boats (published by Whitecap Publishers). The latter made it to the top ten in The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
s non-fiction list.
Millar is also an oil painter with paintings in galleries in Ireland and British Columbia.share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AcOGThm4ctWT0Y