Irish Singer Robert Mizzell Interview

Introduction
The Irish music scene has produced many talented artists over the years, but one name that stands out is Robert Mizzell. With his unique blend of country and Irish music, Mizzell has become a household name in Ireland and beyond. From his humble beginnings in Louisiana to his rise to fame as one of Ireland's most beloved singers, his journey and music have captivated audiences worldwide. In this thesis, we will delve into the life, career, and impact of Robert Mizzell on the Irish music industry.

Early Life and Musical Influences
Robert Mizzell was born on July 21, 1971, in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. Growing up, he was surrounded by music, with his father being a musician and his mother a singer. He was exposed to a variety of genres, including country, rock, and gospel. Mizzell was particularly drawn to country music, and at the age of 13, he began performing at local venues and events.

In 1990, Mizzell moved to Ireland to pursue his music career. He quickly fell in love with the country and its music, and it became a significant influence on his sound. He immersed himself in the Irish music scene, performing at pubs and festivals, and even joining the popular Irish band, The Bards. Mizzell's fusion of American country and Irish folk music was well-received, and he began to gain a loyal fan base.

Rise to Fame
Mizzell's breakthrough came in 1996 when he released his debut album, 'Kick Ass Country,' which topped the Irish charts and earned him a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Irish Country Music Awards. His follow-up albums, 'The Louisiana Man' and 'Pure Country,' were also successful, establishing him as a rising star in the Irish music scene.

In 2002, Mizzell's popularity reached new heights when he joined forces with legendary Irish singer, Big Tom, for a duet album, 'The Two of Us.' The album was a massive success, reaching number one on the Irish charts and earning Mizzell and Big Tom a nomination for Best Duo at the Irish Country Music Awards.

Since then, Mizzell has released numerous albums, including 'Redneck Man,' 'Thanks a Lot, Texas Troubadour,' and 'Cowboys and Heroes,' all of which have been well-received by fans and critics alike. He has also collaborated with other renowned artists such as Margo, Philomena Begley, and Ray Lynam, solidifying his status as one of Ireland's top country singers.

Musical Style and Impact
Robert Mizzell's music is a unique blend of traditional American country and Irish folk, making him stand out in the Irish music scene. His smooth, deep voice combined with his energetic stage presence has won the hearts of audiences worldwide. Mizzell's ability to connect with his audience through his music has made him a fan favorite, and he has sold out concerts in Ireland, the UK, and the US.

Mizzell's music has also had a significant impact on the Irish country music industry. His fusion of country and Irish music has opened doors for other artists to explore and incorporate different genres into their music, making the Irish music scene more diverse and exciting.

In addition to his music, Mizzell is also known for his philanthropy and charity work. He has been involved in various fundraising events and has used his platform to raise awareness for various causes, including mental health and suicide prevention.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Robert Mizzell's journey from Louisiana to becoming an Irish country music superstar is nothing short of remarkable. His unique blend of American country and Irish folk has brought a fresh and exciting sound to the Irish music scene. His impact on the industry and his ability to connect with audiences through his music have cemented his place as one of Ireland's most beloved singers. Mizzell's legacy will continue to live on, and he will undoubtedly inspire generations of artists to come.


Irish Singer Robert Mizzell Interview

Welcome back now our next guest is a Louisiana man who has called Ireland his home for over 30 years much loved at home and abroad for his country music fans are thrilled at the release of his brand new album called forever country and we are delighted to have Robert Mizzell join us in studio this morning but before we chat to Robert let's take a look at the very special duet with his late father from the new album this is like father like  like son two rose become one the father and the son  the father and the son  well there you go Robert good morning well thank you thank you for that what a beautiful tribute to your dads yeah I know it's tough to watch that but it's bringing back good memories too and yeah we're chatting about your dad and he's a great voice yeah he he is uh nicknamed him the possum which was a nickname that they used for George Jones yeah and  he done Johnny Cash stuff and George jones stuff he could sing anything and in that clip um people might not know that but he's after recovering from throat cancer wow so he had a little bit of a raspiness to his voice yeah yeah but I think it even enhanced him yeah because he just sounded he was just like an old leather boot when he sang and it was brilliant was that something you did as kids growing up would you you know in on a car journey or around the table on a Sunday have a bit of a sing song well I'd like to say yeah that would be a nice story but yeah unfortunately like when we were growing up my dad and my mother both were singers they at certain times of the year they played in churches and other times you they played in the bars they were they were sort of it was a sort of a funny setup and my dad didn't really know that I sang until later on in life it was not until I came to Ireland wow and developed my career my dad was like you sing he must be very proud though of what you've achieved in terms of the world of entertainment.

Yeah well you see that we had we had a sort of a rough upbringing and yeah our lives we separated for so many years and and I when I came here I think it was 15 or 20 years before we spoke but the music brought us back together yeah and in the last 15 years of his life um the music was was the glue that held the whole family together from Louisiana to here and then of course to have to lose him you know i think i think he missed the vaccines by two months wow you know that's that's that was the sadness how how did you know your background you mean you're a former military man you know I mean but when did music appear in the radar in terms of hang on I can have a go this is as a career well I've talked about it before there was actually a thing in the Sunday world last week about it that Garth Brooks was sort of the reason I started in music wow because when I first got here back in the early 90's around 94 Garth was coming and a friend of mine had a cd that he played of Garth Brooks and i used to sing along and he said hey you know you you can sing and I said yeah I'm sure my you know my dad sings and my mom's things so when I seen what Garth was doing and I've seen the success he had with music I thought to myself hold on a second because I was doing i was selling mops and buckets at the time I was an insurance salesman I was terrible at all of that so I said I need to find something to do here yeah yeah.

So Garth Brooks sort of paved the road for me whether he knows he chose the safety and security of the music business I think i might go back to the buckets you know I'm just thinking with all the chat there's been in the last 32 weeks about Garth Brooks coming and the five five gigs sold out somebody like you is working okay up until covet non-stop and I know this because like I'm from Roscommon and I know that the dance is on a Sunday night and a Monday night are a big deal and people drive for miles to get to them but equally you guys as performers are driving for miles all over the country was it the crazy hectic schedule that we might think it is always nuts I mean before the lockdown I didn't realize until the lockdown came how much work I was doing uh you know I have the three amigos which has been on tour for the last number of years and um then I have my own band you know I have a young family at home Leo was three and Maisy seven and my wife and all.

so I mean I didn't realize I actually it was almost like going downhill and hitting a tree at the bottom just stopped yeah yeah just it just stopped and now of course we're deja vu we're back into the to this Christmas but then again as I said to Adele you know only the other day i said look I'm going to take something good from it I'm going to sit back and beside the Christmas tree and watch the kids play yeah yeah what else can I do because you never get them at that age again isn't it yeah has kind of been something that we've all you know it's it's come across all our minds over the last 18 months and it has made us reevaluate particularly losing your dad as well during the pandemic it does make you realize how important those near and dear g are and spending quality time with them yeah yes you've got to feed them so you're on the motorways and highways and by ways this is it I mean it's all like you look at the it you know people lie to you and say that money's not important because yeah you know because if a guy a guy who tells you that money's not important or lie about other things as well yeah yeah you never have to worry about it you know but at the same time it's not just about the money it's also about the you know the the creativity that we bring yes like the new album that we're talking about today I mean the the love that went into that album because of of the times that we're in.

Yeah being able to do it with my with my my brother my sister or my brother brother my sister my dad my wife you know so that we we the creativity and going out and touring those albums and touring the shows and the the musicians that the friendships that  have with I was only talking one of my musicians yesterday and you know I could really feel the despondence  could really feel it's tough and so far it hadn't happened we were sort of you know okay we're gonna get back yeah yeah but this this time yeah it's a real kick in the stomach business you know for the music industry it's a real now look at as I say look I'm trying to think positive i know we're gonna come back I know we will and but this is a difficult difficult time let's talk about the new album because you mentioned that Robert it's it's very collaborative you've got lots of people singing on there with you when you're putting an album like that together just talk us through your process in terms of what ends up on the album you know new stuff covers what way do you normally do this well this album sort of happened organically because it was my father you know who who started the album because we had we had like father like son recorded for an upcoming tour that was happening yeah the Nashville songbook which was to be done just before covid um and then we were in the studio we had the other song on the album it's all gone to pot which i think is a great sign the new single you know it's it could be our new Irish National Anthem so we we had those two songs and when my father passed i thought to myself what do I do with these songs now how do I feature them how do I honor them so then my wife is a beautiful lady and she she sings around the house much more than I do oh and she got a beautiful beautiful soft but but meaningful voice yeah so I said Adele you know she's done the odd wedding singing the odd wedding she's not a professional singer but I said would you come in would you come into the studio with me and she says no no no I won't it won't I won't but I eventually convinced her to come in and it's actually, it's my favorite song on the album for many reasons.

when you hear her sing it's just she's got like I'm trying a Nancy Griffith right type sound to her voice um if I can use that it sounds like a real love letter at the album to yeah to your family it is well let's see look it look Adele as I always say Adele Johnny Cash had June Carter and I have it yeah you know because i know without her I'd be in it oh she can't do anything somewhere and you know so to have her on the album and and and the fact that she is sort of shy and reserved yeah you know and to hear their her voice it makes it even more the better yeah you know because for the kids to have as well and to have mom and dad singing yeah nine years to come I know I know and hope I'm hoping that the two children now we're only talking about little Maisie we're trying to get her on the piano and yeah Leo of course I mean he he'd eat the piano at the minute yeah he's not really I'm not sure what he's going to do but to have that and then and then the mix in my sister in Louisiana I haven't I haven't seen my sister much in probably 30 years wow but when my dad died we we met up again um and as a matter of fact i don't I don't even know if she was going to the funeral at the time but I went down to Louisiana I found her I we went to the funeral together and I asked her then when all this was taken I said look I know she could sing down through the years.

I remember as a child she could sing and she does a beautiful version with me of grandpa the old Jude song wow yeah yeah and then my brother then of course Kentucky he's he's a karaoke king in Kentucky people love him the controversies he's also genius of this because all the royalties stay within the family that you know well you see with kobe if you keep things tight but I can well imagine Roberts you know that you cannot wait to take this album out to see our fans and so people who come and see your shows and their thousands you know and I want to mention i want to mention too Mary Byrne you you probably know Mary from x factor yes of course beautiful lady yeah and and uh you know Mary is very flamboyant and you know I rang her uh what are you bothering me for what do you want I said Mary I want you to come and sing a song okay but she came in and she's she there's actually a video clip on a couple of videos on facebook and we have a we have a series of shows that are going out that'd be streamed right and she's performing with me on that as well but a wonderful talent she's a hoot as well no more than more than yourself so the album is currently available yeah it's it's in all good record shops Tesco's golden discs all the good dogs as well and there's some bad ones as well yeah as a matter of fact if you come to the booth but listen we appreciate you coming down and having a chat with us uh give our best to all the family thank you great Christmas thank you lovely to see you thanks you can't get your hand on Robert's brand new album forever country at all good record stores across all the digital platforms and on his own website robertmizelle.Com Say you love me lyrics by Robert