…a brief biography
Bobby Clancy
Born: May 14, 1927, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland
Died: September 6, 2002, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Ireland
Group Member: 1969-1971 and 1977-1998
Bobby continued on as "The Clancys" with is son Finbarr, and Eddie Dillon from 1998 to 2002
BOBBY CLANCY is the latest Clancy brother to join with the famous singing group from Ireland.
Singing is not a new vocation for Bobby. He has been a solo artist for many years. Bobby has been collecting songs and singing at Irish Music Festivals, where he has won many awards during the past years. He appeared on Telefis, where he has won many awards during the past years. He appeared Sings". He has also appeared on the same station's production entitled "Ballad Session". Bobby has also appeared on many Radio Eireann Shows and many shows for the B.B.C.
With his sister Peg, he appeared on two albums released by the Tradition Record Company, entitled "So Early in The Morning" and "Songs From Ireland". They also appeared together on many concerts in the British Isles.
Bobby has toured the United States and Canada, appearing in concerts, clubs, and on TV as a solo artist. He has also worked and roamed in many parts of the world including Greece, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand.
In addition to his singing, he has been running the family insurance business started by his father in Carrick-on-Suir, as well as the "Jug of Punch" a Pub/Restaurant in Kilkenny, Ireland, which he owns jointly with brother Liam.
Source: Concert Program - circa 1970
Bobby Clancy dies at 75
Sometimes described as "the brother who stayed home," Bobby Clancy of the world-famous singing Clancy Brothers died last Friday in Ireland after a lengthy illness ending in lung complications. He was 75 years old.
One of nine children of Robert and Joan (née McGrath) Clancy in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, Clancy was predeceased by his older brothers Tom, in 1990, and Paddy, in 1998, both of whom were original members of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem group. Only Liam Clancy, the youngest sibling of all, now survives with Armagh-born Makem from the quartet who first brought Irish ballads, robustly sung in unison, to a vast global audience four decades ago.
While his three brothers became unexpected stars in America during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Bobby Clancy remained in Tipperary to run the family insurance business. But his own abilities as a singer, instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, harmonica, bodhrán), actor, storyteller, verse reciter, and wit served him well in such TV programs as "When Bobby Clancy Sings." He also enjoyed a solid recording and touring career as a soloist and in a duo with his younger sister Peg before joining his brothers in the mid-1970s for occasional tours and recordings after Tommy Makem and, later, brother Liam left.
One of the highlights of Bobby Clancy's career came on Oct. 16, 1992, when he joined his surviving brothers, Liam and Paddy, plus nephew Robbie O'Connell and Tommy Makem, at New York's Madison Square Garden for "The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration" for Bob Dylan. Before 20,000 people, they sang a galvanizing rendition of Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In." It seemed fitting that on this night, they would borrow from the songbag of someone who frequently borrowed from theirs, a singer-songwriter who was, in his early days, an opening act for them.
Over the last two decades, Bobby Clancy recorded albums with his brothers and nephew Robbie O'Connell, such as 1982's "Live!" and 1995's "Older But No Wiser." He also issued such solo recordings as "The Quiet Land" and "Make Me a Cup," both featuring daughter Aoife (former lead singer of Cherish the Ladies) and son Finbar (vocals, guitar, flute, banjo, bodhrán).
Other albums on which Bobby Clancy appeared include Mick Moloney and Eugene O'Donnell's "Uncommon Bonds" in 1984, Cherish the Ladies' "At Home" in 1999 and "The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone" in 2001, and Aoife Clancy's "Silvery Moon" just recently. This new solo recording by Aoife features a tender vocal duet with her father on "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," a song with music by Leadbelly and lyrics by Bobby's folk contemporaries, the Weavers.
Last Sunday evening, a wake for Bobby Clancy was held at Walsh's Funeral Home in Carrick-on-Suir. The next morning, a requiem Mass was said at St. Nicholas's Church, and burial followed in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Bobby Clancy is survived by his wife, Moira, their children Finbarr, Aoife, Roisin, and Aideen, his brother Liam, his sisters Joan and Peg, his sons-in-law Ryland and Michael, and his grandchildren Lowri and Cifa.
"My brothers and I always kept true to our music," Bobby Clancy once said of the extraordinary career they enjoyed. "It's not unusual for three generations of fans to come to our performances. And just by the smiles on their faces when we are singing something like 'Tim Finnegan's Wake' or 'The Galway Races,' well, that's what makes the whole show worthwhile for us."
By Earle Hitchner
Irish Echo: September 11-17, 2002