At the coalface of country music

Brendan Quinn has been at the coalface of country music in the Ulster region over the decades. The man from Magherafelt has recorded some outstanding material in that time. Versatility best sums up the amazing outreach of this talented Derry man. From pure gold country to a sensational interpretation of the music of Neil Diamond and straight to the folk music of Ulster, Brendan takes it all in his stride.

He burst onto the country scene in the early 1970s, when Four In The Morning became a huge hit in the Irish charts.

“The first time I heard the song I said: ‘That’s a hit record’. It was the song that gave me a platform and to this day it remains very close to my heart,” says Brendan.

He consolidated his position as an artist of rare talent in the years since then, with several hits during the 1970s and many fine recordings in the years since then.

Brendan recently released a 13-track album, Feels Like Home. The title track sees him perform a superb version of the Randy Newman classic. It’s an album that encompasses a range of styles, with songs like The Band Played Waltzing Matilda and Galway to Graceland resting easy beside country classics like Satisfied Mind and The Long Black Veil.

“I made this album for the love of it,” states Brendan. “I played in a ceilí band when I was around 15-years-old. I remember singing The Rocks of Bawn back then and some of the old ballads from this region. I have always had a liking for those old songs and their place in the community. Many might think the album is a strange mix of songs and styles, and maybe it is, but I am delighted I have recorded it.”

Singer-songwriter and columnist Shay Healy, a long-time friend, is in no doubt of where Brendan stands in the pantheon of country music.

“Brendan has dedicated the last 40 years to country music. His country voice is evocative of some of the great country singers of all-time, George Jones, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash.

“But Brendan from Magherafelt in south Derry is ready to go back to his roots for this album and rediscover the folk songs he knew as a child and which he delivers in pure Magherafeltese.

“His choice of songs such as Rocks of Bawn, Slieve Galleon Brae and Sweet Carnlough Bay proves he has not lost his touch when it comes to singing ballads in proper style.

“Brendan is a great storyteller and he likes songs with a strong narrative. Richard Thompson’s sublime Galway to Graceland, Dougie Maclean’s Caledonia and a new song, Superman, Moses and Me, written by yours truly with Nashville writer Joe Chambers, are modern folksongs that fit very firmly into the repertoire of the new folk revival,” reflects Shay.

Brendan and Shay go back a long way.

“I got to know Shay Healy back in the 1970s and I have recorded a good few of his songs on various albums over the years. We always got on famously. Shay has great talent and an appreciation for different styles of music. He wrote a brilliant tribute to Hank Williams, which I recorded a few years ago. While he has written Eurovision winning songs, he has always had a fondness for good country music. He’s a special person.”

These times, Brendan performs mainly guest spots at various shows around the country. Occasionally, he fills in for dance shows and one of these will see him perform in The Well in Moate at the end of this month.