Mick Flavin Irish Singer

Mick Flavin, an Irish country singer, has been a prominent figure in Irish music for over four decades. With his distinct voice and traditional country style, Flavin has captured the hearts of fans all over Ireland and beyond. Despite facing numerous challenges throughout his career, Flavin has remained a beloved and influential artist in the Irish music scene.

Born in 1949 in the small town of Ballinamuck, County Longford, Flavin was exposed to music from a young age. His father, a fiddle player, and his mother, a singer, were both passionate about traditional Irish music. It was this rich musical heritage that would shape Flavin's passion for music and set him on the path to becoming a successful singer.

Flavin's career began in the late 1960s when he joined a local band, The Plainsmen. However, it wasn't until the early 1980s that he released his first solo album, 'The Old School Yard'. The album was a success and immediately caught the attention of the Irish music industry. This led to a recording contract with Ritz Records and the release of his second album, 'The Days of '49' in 1983.

The 1980s proved to be a pivotal decade for Flavin as he rose to fame in Ireland with hits such as 'The Old School Yard', 'The Days of '49', and 'I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen'. His traditional country style and heartfelt lyrics resonated with audiences, and he quickly became known as the 'King of Country' in Ireland.

However, Flavin's career faced a major setback in 1985 when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He was forced to take a break from music and undergo extensive treatment. Despite the challenges, Flavin remained determined to continue his music career. In 1986, he released the album 'Life Goes On' which was inspired by his battle with cancer. The album was a success and marked his triumphant return to the music scene.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Flavin continued to release hit albums and tour extensively in Ireland and the UK. He also expanded his fanbase to the United States and Canada, where he became a popular artist in the Irish-American community. His albums consistently topped the Irish charts, and he was awarded the 'Male Vocalist of the Year' award at the Irish Country Music Awards on multiple occasions.

In addition to his successful music career, Flavin also made a name for himself as a talented songwriter. Many of his songs, such as 'The Old School Yard' and 'The Days of '49', have become staples in the Irish country music genre and have been covered by numerous artists.

Furthermore, Flavin's dedication to preserving traditional Irish country music has earned him the respect and admiration of fellow artists and fans alike. He has been a strong advocate for promoting and supporting up-and-coming Irish country artists, and his influence on the genre is evident in the success of many young artists today.

Despite facing health issues in recent years, Flavin continues to perform and record music. His most recent album, 'The Essential Collection', was released in 2018 and features a compilation of his greatest hits. He also continues to tour, performing to sold-out crowds all over Ireland.

In conclusion, Mick Flavin is a legendary figure in the Irish music scene. His distinctive voice, traditional country style, and heartfelt lyrics have cemented his place in the hearts of fans for over four decades. Despite facing challenges, Flavin's determination and passion for music have made him a beloved and influential artist in Ireland and beyond. He has left a lasting impact on the Irish country music genre, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of artists.

vesI'm Jerry Byrne I'm speaking to the great and the good of music now my next guest is the gentleman I spoke to him back a few months ago in uh the first lockdown that  happened  one of the big names in uh music in excess of 30 years  at the top of his game and still performing well up until lockdown still recording I'm delighted to say hello to him in balance in county long for the winners only Mick flavin and mick how are you. Hello Jerry how are you, nice nice to talk to you again. Indeed it is Mick it is the last time we spoke  was in the the first part of  of lockdown and  all the rest and you've been you've been a busy lad during the period of lockdown recording a complete new album. 

Yeah I've got a new 18 track album out uh cherry and just picked some songs there when there wasn't a whole lot going on really on the on the live scene and so with some operating songs and I've got a few originals in there as well a couple of nice songs written by uh P.J. Morrihy and have a nice original there by shoenik ramsey as well so I went up to a guy that's I started doing a bit of walk with there last year and him and I did a couple of  different gigs together we did quite a bit at the social dancing here in Ireland and he's a man called Brian Kerrigan so Brian has his own studio in Letterkenny and I went up to Brian and spent a few years up there with him and went back again, just do the finish so that's where I recorded it and studio right I must say it's a top-class quality I must say and uh the the song I know the single which was released it was released back just a short time before the album home in long food written by P.J. Murrahy going in absolute dorm it is.

yeah it's a great song, and it basically tells the story about  when I was starting off on the business an old guitar and you know suppose really like a lot of people that started off in the business. You know it's nice to go back where you started from and and it's always nice to remember where you started from really you know and it tells the story really about me starting out and I was very lucky really to be honest Jerry in the business you know 43 great years and you know been really lucky and not just here in Ireland but across in the U.K. indeed England and London especially in Birmingham, Manchester, right across Scotland and have had great old times in London especially. 

Indeed you were there many many times and  one of the top the top draws there you've got a little another song on there from Peterborough that album was well the wounded pilgrim and yeah another penguin is a great song as well let's uh it tells the story of well it would relate to my the problem that I had back the years when i was trying to kick the habit or trying to get off the drink and it tells the story of a person in similar circumstances so it's a really you know, it's close to home song for me as well you know so a very good writer  and he's written some great songs especially for Daniel O'Donnell and people like that you know and just recorded some great original material to themselves like indeed he certainly has now what interesting thing make about this album.

 I remember the the very first album, well I remember playing it on radio back in the day which was introducing that was an album released in you know in 1986 and you've actually correct yeah you've recorded actually you've re-recorded three of the classic tracks there was on that album dream of me precious jewel and gone gone gone they're featured on the new album yeah  that's correct. Yeah well I suppose when I took it out to be honest Jerry. It was only on cassette and and then I had it out about a year and a company in England took it over called prison leisure and they put it on vinyl and and they changed the name of it because the name I had on the cassette was a great name really because I wouldn't have been known at all like really I would have been known a bit here in Ireland all right Midlands would have played in the pub scene and that but nobody in England would have known me around like that so there's a great title really introducing Mick Flavin, you know and it did a lot of good for me in England honestly you know indeed it did and uh it was a it was an album that uh you know that certainly did a lot but those particular songs where  your classic tracks from  back in time and it's lovely to have them on this album I must say.

It is yeah, it's nice because down through the years there are fans of mine you know that come along and they say well look we've got all we've got everything that you recorded except your very first songs your first tip on and I said well look at maybe someday I'll maybe when I get back in the studio I'll you know re-record them and put them on cd and and that's what I did really.

Yeah that's excellent stuff and I must say, top class, the top quality recording and top quality production on it and it is yeah that's what I'm saying about Brian Kerrigan. He's a terrific guy, he's got a great ear for music and he's got a really good studio there as well it's called harmony studios in that and  you know I could honestly it's my first time ever to record with him, but I think he's he's excellent now and he's you know, if it was normal times he would be getting a hell of a lot of work even from from that album but he's doing okay at the minute now.

But you know everybody is suffering from badly with this corona virus or covert 19 and I mean it's just it has been a horrendous year really for people in the music business and I mean it was last January I think was the last time I did the gig with the band on the twenty it was about the 24th of January. Now I was supposed to be over in the U.K. there in around London on that in Birmingham for some Saint Patrick's weekend but so like the whole thing was up and hit then and you know it was really breaking bad at that that's time you know indeed so Mandy so and you know what it has been as you said it's been an absolutely horrendous  year and I think for anybody in the in the performing arts be it singing or acting on stage or involved in music it doesn't matter what it is everything has just been washed out everything oh yeah.

It's terrible yeah. and it's not just our country or England or the U.K. it's right across the whole world you know indeed, so it's incredible to think you know of all the people involved in you know in the you should say the performing arts and hospitality sector which have been impacted it says huge upside oh yeah absolutely the whole the whole this music business in Ireland I mean it was it was the to the economy it would have been what about two or three billion in a year and that's a that's a phenomenal amount of money for a small little country really you know.

It is indeed, it's absolutely huge,  another track by the way we make on that album is you've got a you've got a duet with the calvin singer brenton German of a murderer in German yea mm-hmm murderer musical music role yeah  it's a really good song I think it was George Street and Alan Jackson had the original of that you know and it's a good song and it came out really well too you know, indeed. So it sounds I have to say it sounds great and i'll have to say the two voices your two voices fit very very well in ours yeah because we never ever sang before or we just you know it's just it seemed to just the jail just  like you know indeed excellent so mickey how can how can people get the album.

Yeah well, we're selling the album on from my U.K. website  I've got a new website it's www. mixlab. co. U.K. that's one way you can you can purchase it and then for people who claim to maybe don't you know are not familiar with computers and that like myself I'm hopeless on a computer. You can actually just send on a check or a postal order here to me from which it's just mixed lab and schoolyard records from this County Longford and if you send a check report to the order for uh 20 euro that'll and that will cover uh post and packaging and all that stuff you know great stuff great stuff and i believe it is it's going a storm for you at the moment yeah it's selling ex extremely well and you know i was just saying just imagine if we had if we were out doing gigs and stuff like that it would have been you know it's really it's been fantastic now I'm really over the moon about how well it's selling.

For me, you know that is that's absolutely excellent and you know well done, in you know in the in the difficult circumstances you know to you know that you've actually been  been able to to do the album and you know and get it out yeah well done on that yeah because I suppose it will it will cheer people up and you know and it will be a nice little uh stop and filler for the Christmas as well like you know indeed so Mick listen it's been lovely to lovely to catch up with you lovely to get the to get the album on this and wishing you loads of success with us thanks a million Jerry and i just want to say a million thanks to you because uh it's a long long time since you and i met below in Monahan it could be 35 34 or 5 years ago nearly uh but you've been you know you've been so good to me and all the Irish artists over there in London and all through the years like and i just want to say thanks a million jerry and i want to wish you and your family a very happy Christmas and indeed hopefully with the help of God a better year in 2021 and the very same to all your listeners here as well Gerry I want to thank them all very much for all the support that have given me down through the years and you know for buying cds and I want to wish them all a very happy and of course a very healthy new year as well.

Songs on this site by Mick Flavin include,
Longford On My Mind and The Old Schoolyard