Finbar Wright
Encyclopedia
Edward Finbar Wright known popularly as Finbar Wright, is a popular music singer, songwriter, poet from County Cork
, Ireland
.
Finbar Wright is a classically trained tenor who emerged during the 1990s in Ireland and has become one of that country's "most popular singers", concentrating on romantic, jazz and pop standards for the adult contemporary audience. Referred to as one of Ireland's great romantic singers, his first album, Because in 1991 reached the top of the Irish music charts. Wright's second recording, "Whatever You Believe", also reached the top of the Irish charts with triple platinum certification and produced the number 1 hit single, Whatever You Believe, now a Christmas favorite in Ireland. His subsequent recordings have also received gold and/or platinum status.
The 2 time IRMA
"Male Entertainer of the Year" and BBC
Cardiff
"Singer of the World" is best known outside of Europe
as one of the Irish Tenors
from their PBS
specials and recordings.
, County Cork, Ireland in 1957, Finbar Wright was the youngest of eight children in a Roman Catholic farming household. Finbar's paternal grandfather, whose family tree includes 7th President of the United States
Andrew Jackson
, was a Presbyterian hackney
driver living in County Monaghan
where he met his future bride, a Catholic from County Cork. The couple married and moved to Cork to begin a family. Grandfather Wright started up his own hackney service which became the family business until one son, Robert, decided to go into farming. Robert later met and married Julia O'Donovan and together raised their eight children on their Ballinspittle
farm. Three years after the arrival of their seventh child, Julia gave birth to "Finbar" on September 26, one day after the feast-day
of Saint Finbarr, the Patron Saint
of Cork.
Robert and Julia both enjoyed singing and, subsequently, made it a priority that all eight of the Wright children were taught an appreciation for music, in one form or another. At age 6 young Finbar began studying piano with Ms. Maura Hourihane and singing on local stages with one of his four brothers. At age 11 Finbar, having shown a keen interest and, more importantly, an ability for athletics, was sent to Farranferris College, a Diocesan preparatory school known for its Hurling
tradition. While there, Wright impressed academically as well, and at 16 was sent to university in Palencia
, Spain
to study for the priesthood.
While studying in Spain, Finbar developed his lasting appeciation and love for the Spanish culture and music. He returned to Ireland to take a Bachelor of Divinity
Degree at National University of Ireland
Maynooth
, in County Kildare
, where he joined the choir and became senior cantor
in charge of liturgical singing. In 1978 Wright, at age 21, was the youngest man ever to be ordained a Catholic priest, a distinction which required special dispensation by the Pope
.
1979 saw the historic first visit by a Pontiff
to the island nation of Ireland. On 29 September 1979 in Phoenix Park
, in Dublin, John Paul II
celebrated an open-air Papal Mass
to an assembled congregation of 1.25 million, at that time roughly one-third of the population of Ireland. Wright was appointed deacon for that Mass and, beneath the commemorative 100 ft (30.5 m) steel cross, read the Gospel
(and sang the Responsories) to the largest gathering of Irish people ever recorded in one place.
As a priest, Fr. Finbar returned to Farranferris College to teach Spanish
and Latin
. In 1987, following the deaths of his eldest brother and his father, and citing philosophical differences with the Church, Wright, at age 30, made the decision to leave the priesthood and was laicised.
, Sydney Opera House
, Radio City Music Hall
, Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall
, Dublin's National Concert Hall
and the Hollywood Bowl
. Wright began his formal training rather late, at age 27, and professional music career at age 32 but he had been involved in music since his early childhood as well as his time in the priesthood so when he decided to leave, he felt there was only one career path to follow, ""Even when I went back to Farranferris as a teacher, I stayed interested in singing...""
Formal vocal studies began in 1984 as Wright attended the Cork School of Music, a college founded in 1878 and now part of the Cork Institute of Technology
. There he studied music theory
with George Dunne, singing with Robert Beare and piano with Angel Climent. Wright subsequently studied with Ernst Haefliger
in Munich
, Germany
and the Romanian soprano Ileana Cotrubas
at Aldeburgh
, England
. He was chosen to study with Dr. Veronica Dunne, regarded as Ireland's preeminent vocal teacher.
In 1987 Finbar made his television singing debut on RTE
's "The Late Late Show
", hosted by Gay Byrne
. Finbar entered the Feis Ceoil competitions in Dublin, winning the major singing awards there, and, in 1989, Wright was chosen as Ireland's representative to the BBC Cardiff competition capturing the "Singer of the World" top honour.
In 1990 Wright began his professional music career in earnest with recitals and concerts around Ireland. By 1991 Finbar was starring in his own video for the United States Public Broadcasting System, "Finbar Wright in Concert". His first album, Because, in 1991, was produced by Phil Coulter
and reached the top of the Irish music charts and platinum status. Later that same year Coulter invited Wright to accompany him on a world tour. As his popularity grew his reputation reached the ears of producers at RTE
culminating in the successful television series, "Music of the Night" which Finbar hosted, along with singer/actress Angeline Ball
. Finbar's second album, Whatever You Believe went triple platinum in Ireland and made the Mike Batt
title song "Whatever You Believe" a Christmas
classic in that country. All of Finbar Wright's recordings have reached gold and/or platinum status.
Wright was nominated for and won the Irish Recorded Music Association's "Male Entertainer of the Year" 2 consecutive years, 1992-1993. During his career, Finbar has appeared in public performance with such diverse personalities as Phil Coulter, Kiri Te Kanawa
, Jerry Lee Lewis
and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
; Spanish soprano, Montserrat Caballé
, invited the multilingual Wright to be special guest artist at her concert in Dublin in 1993 after hearing him sing a Spanish song on one of his albums. He is fluent in Irish, English, Spanish, Italian and French (as well as Latin) and his concerts and recordings include songs in most of these languages. The Jimmy Kennedy
penned single "South of the Border", with its syncopated rhythms and Spanish flair, is a favorite Wright song with American audiences.
In 1995 Finbar performed at the State Dinner in honour of U.S. President Bill Clinton
at Dublin Castle
. Finbar was invited to again sing for then President Clinton in Washington, DC and Daniel O'Donnell
asked Finbar to join him in London
at the Royal Albert Hall for a concert in 1999; ""...Daniel and I are going to be like the new Irish rat pack"". Wright's concert at the National Concert Hall
in Dublin, October 4, 2007, on the occasion of Finbar's 50th birthday, saw him surprised with a five foot cake and a leather-bound book of well wishes from, most-notably, former President Bill and Hillary Clinton and old friends Daniel O'Donnell and Phil Coulter, among others.
Finbar has guested on most of Ireland's national television programs including many appearances on RTÉ's The Late Late Show and UTV
's Gerry Kelly
show, TV3's
Ireland AM, RTÉ's The Afternoon Show and the comedy hit Podge and Rodge
. Finbar, with the Irish Tenors, has guested on all the major network morning shows in the United States, NBC
's Today Show, ABC
's Good Morning America
, CBS
' the Early Show as well as Live with Regis and Kelly
and several appearances on the home shopping network QVC
.
Wright's musical influences are eclectic as he lists such notables as Count John McCormack, Mario Lanza
, Ray Charles
, Willie Nelson
and Freddie Mercury
and Queen
. Still deeply spiritual, Finbar includes at least one piece of sacred music in every concert and on every album. Each of Wright's recordings reflect these wide-ranging influences as he embraces all genres of music encompassing popular, jazz, traditional Irish, rock-classics, Spanish rhythms, Neopolitan romance, old standards and light classical.
, who decided to leave the group, for the "Live from Belfast" PBS special. Since that time Finbar has recorded six albums and 5 PBS specials with the Irish Tenors.
The Irish Tenors, in 2001, filmed a historic PBS special at New York
's Ellis Island
, hosted by Irish/American actor Martin Sheen
. Their album Ellis Island topped Billboard
s Heatseeker list and landed on its "Top 10 Best of 2001". In 2007 the South Carolina Legislature issued a "Proclamation" welcoming the trio to that State at their performance in Charleston.
In 2003, The Irish Tenors participated in the prestigious UNICEF Snowflake Lighting celebrations to kick off the festive season in New York, sharing the stage with the Mayor of New York, Michael R Bloomberg, and movie star Liv Tyler
, who hosted the event.
Wright and Irish Tenors' mate Anthony Kearns were asked by ABC's Good Morning America to sing the hymn "Amazing Grace
" for their coverage of the funeral of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan
in 2004.
2006 saw Finbar and the Irish Tenors host the 9 part Summer variety series for RTÉ produced by Bill Hughes' Mind the Gap productions, The Irish Tenors, Heroes & Friends. "Heroes & Friends" included Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
, Finbar Furey, Hayley Westenra
, Sharon Shannon, Rebecca Storm and Shane Ward, among others. In 2006 Finbar and the Irish Tenors welcomed newcomer Karl Scully
into the group, replacing John McDermott, who stepped-in temporarily in 2004.
The Wrights prefer to live and raise their two children, a son and a daughter, away from the music capitals and bright lights. The family resides, still, in County Cork Ireland; ""If you are to have any kind of a fruitful life, it isn't wealth and success that matter - happiness is the important thing.""
(often referred to as "Gift of Gab") was not lost on this Corkman as Finbar began writing song lyrics several years ago, 4 of which have appeared on his recordings. A more literary style emerged and he began writing full-length verse. Private Friends is a collection of some of Wright's poetry published in 2001 and dedicated to his brother, Robert, who, at age 47, had died suddenly the same year.
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Finbar Wright is a classically trained tenor who emerged during the 1990s in Ireland and has become one of that country's "most popular singers", concentrating on romantic, jazz and pop standards for the adult contemporary audience. Referred to as one of Ireland's great romantic singers, his first album, Because in 1991 reached the top of the Irish music charts. Wright's second recording, "Whatever You Believe", also reached the top of the Irish charts with triple platinum certification and produced the number 1 hit single, Whatever You Believe, now a Christmas favorite in Ireland. His subsequent recordings have also received gold and/or platinum status.
The 2 time IRMA
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
"Male Entertainer of the Year" and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
"Singer of the World" is best known outside of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as one of the Irish Tenors
Irish Tenors
The Irish Tenors is the PBS musical singing trio from Ireland started in 1998 by a group of television producers for a of PBS special The Irish Tenors. They have since recorded 5 PBS specials and 7 albums...
from their PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
specials and recordings.
Early life
Born in KinsaleKinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
, County Cork, Ireland in 1957, Finbar Wright was the youngest of eight children in a Roman Catholic farming household. Finbar's paternal grandfather, whose family tree includes 7th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, was a Presbyterian hackney
Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
driver living in County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
where he met his future bride, a Catholic from County Cork. The couple married and moved to Cork to begin a family. Grandfather Wright started up his own hackney service which became the family business until one son, Robert, decided to go into farming. Robert later met and married Julia O'Donovan and together raised their eight children on their Ballinspittle
Ballinspittle
Ballinspittle is a village in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is in the parish of Courceys and lies about 8km south-west of Kinsale...
farm. Three years after the arrival of their seventh child, Julia gave birth to "Finbar" on September 26, one day after the feast-day
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
of Saint Finbarr, the Patron Saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Cork.
Robert and Julia both enjoyed singing and, subsequently, made it a priority that all eight of the Wright children were taught an appreciation for music, in one form or another. At age 6 young Finbar began studying piano with Ms. Maura Hourihane and singing on local stages with one of his four brothers. At age 11 Finbar, having shown a keen interest and, more importantly, an ability for athletics, was sent to Farranferris College, a Diocesan preparatory school known for its Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
tradition. While there, Wright impressed academically as well, and at 16 was sent to university in Palencia
Palencia
Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to study for the priesthood.
While studying in Spain, Finbar developed his lasting appeciation and love for the Spanish culture and music. He returned to Ireland to take a Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
Degree at National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, where he joined the choir and became senior cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
in charge of liturgical singing. In 1978 Wright, at age 21, was the youngest man ever to be ordained a Catholic priest, a distinction which required special dispensation by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.
1979 saw the historic first visit by a Pontiff
Pontiff
A pontiff was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the principal college of priests . The term "pontiff" was later applied to any high or chief priest and, in ecclesiastical usage, to a bishop and more particularly to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope or "Roman Pontiff".-Etymology:The English term derives...
to the island nation of Ireland. On 29 September 1979 in Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
, in Dublin, John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
celebrated an open-air Papal Mass
Papal Mass
A Papal Mass is the Solemn Pontifical High Mass when offered by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.There are numerous special ceremonials which are particular to the pope...
to an assembled congregation of 1.25 million, at that time roughly one-third of the population of Ireland. Wright was appointed deacon for that Mass and, beneath the commemorative 100 ft (30.5 m) steel cross, read the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
(and sang the Responsories) to the largest gathering of Irish people ever recorded in one place.
As a priest, Fr. Finbar returned to Farranferris College to teach Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. In 1987, following the deaths of his eldest brother and his father, and citing philosophical differences with the Church, Wright, at age 30, made the decision to leave the priesthood and was laicised.
Career
Finbar Wright has performed in many of the major concert halls around the world including Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
, Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, Dublin's National Concert Hall
National Concert Hall
The National Concert Hall is a concert hall located on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, Ireland, close to St. Stephen's Green, and is the principal national venue for classical music concerts in Ireland....
and the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
. Wright began his formal training rather late, at age 27, and professional music career at age 32 but he had been involved in music since his early childhood as well as his time in the priesthood so when he decided to leave, he felt there was only one career path to follow, ""Even when I went back to Farranferris as a teacher, I stayed interested in singing...""
Formal vocal studies began in 1984 as Wright attended the Cork School of Music, a college founded in 1878 and now part of the Cork Institute of Technology
Cork Institute of Technology
Cork Institute of Technology , formerly the Regional Technical College, Cork, is an Institute of Technology in Ireland, located in Cork, Ireland opened in 1973. The institute has 17,000 students in art, business, engineering, music and science disciplines...
. There he studied music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
with George Dunne, singing with Robert Beare and piano with Angel Climent. Wright subsequently studied with Ernst Haefliger
Ernst Haefliger
Ernst Haefliger was a Swiss tenor.Haefliger was born in Davos, Switzerland and studied at the Zürich Conservatory. He studied with Fernando Capri in Geneva and Julius Patzak in Vienna....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Romanian soprano Ileana Cotrubas
Ileana Cotrubas
Ileana Cotrubaş is a Romanian opera soprano whose career spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s. She was much admired for her acting skills and facility for singing opera in many different languages.-Biography:...
at Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was chosen to study with Dr. Veronica Dunne, regarded as Ireland's preeminent vocal teacher.
In 1987 Finbar made his television singing debut on RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's "The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
", hosted by Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
. Finbar entered the Feis Ceoil competitions in Dublin, winning the major singing awards there, and, in 1989, Wright was chosen as Ireland's representative to the BBC Cardiff competition capturing the "Singer of the World" top honour.
In 1990 Wright began his professional music career in earnest with recitals and concerts around Ireland. By 1991 Finbar was starring in his own video for the United States Public Broadcasting System, "Finbar Wright in Concert". His first album, Because, in 1991, was produced by Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
and reached the top of the Irish music charts and platinum status. Later that same year Coulter invited Wright to accompany him on a world tour. As his popularity grew his reputation reached the ears of producers at RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
culminating in the successful television series, "Music of the Night" which Finbar hosted, along with singer/actress Angeline Ball
Angeline Ball
Angeline Ball is an award-winning Irish actress who currently resides in London, England. She is a trained dancer in ballet, tap and modern dance. Her breakthrough role came in 1991 when she starred alongside Maria Doyle Kennedy and Bronagh Gallagher as back-up singer Imelda Quirke in Alan...
. Finbar's second album, Whatever You Believe went triple platinum in Ireland and made the Mike Batt
Mike Batt
Michael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
title song "Whatever You Believe" a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
classic in that country. All of Finbar Wright's recordings have reached gold and/or platinum status.
Wright was nominated for and won the Irish Recorded Music Association's "Male Entertainer of the Year" 2 consecutive years, 1992-1993. During his career, Finbar has appeared in public performance with such diverse personalities as Phil Coulter, Kiri Te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
; Spanish soprano, Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. Although she sang a wide variety of roles, she is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi....
, invited the multilingual Wright to be special guest artist at her concert in Dublin in 1993 after hearing him sing a Spanish song on one of his albums. He is fluent in Irish, English, Spanish, Italian and French (as well as Latin) and his concerts and recordings include songs in most of these languages. The Jimmy Kennedy
Jimmy Kennedy
Jimmy Kennedy OBE was an Irish songwriter, predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "My Prayer", or co-writing with the composers Michael Carr, Wilhelm Grosz and Nat Simon amongst others.-Biography:Kennedy was born near Omagh...
penned single "South of the Border", with its syncopated rhythms and Spanish flair, is a favorite Wright song with American audiences.
In 1995 Finbar performed at the State Dinner in honour of U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
at Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
. Finbar was invited to again sing for then President Clinton in Washington, DC and Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel O'Donnell (Irish singer)
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US. He is known for his close relationship with his...
asked Finbar to join him in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the Royal Albert Hall for a concert in 1999; ""...Daniel and I are going to be like the new Irish rat pack"". Wright's concert at the National Concert Hall
National Concert Hall
The National Concert Hall is a concert hall located on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, Ireland, close to St. Stephen's Green, and is the principal national venue for classical music concerts in Ireland....
in Dublin, October 4, 2007, on the occasion of Finbar's 50th birthday, saw him surprised with a five foot cake and a leather-bound book of well wishes from, most-notably, former President Bill and Hillary Clinton and old friends Daniel O'Donnell and Phil Coulter, among others.
Finbar has guested on most of Ireland's national television programs including many appearances on RTÉ's The Late Late Show and UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
's Gerry Kelly
Gerry Kelly (broadcaster)
Gerry Kelly is a broadcaster from Northern Ireland. He is best known for his presenting career at UTV.-Broadcasting career:...
show, TV3's
TV3 Ireland
TV3 is a free-to-air commercial television network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 20 September 1998 it was Ireland's first commercial broadcaster. The channel is owned by TV3 Group a subsidiary of Doughty Hanson & Co.-The TV3 Group:...
Ireland AM, RTÉ's The Afternoon Show and the comedy hit Podge and Rodge
Podge and Rodge
Pádraig Judas O'Leprosy and Rodraig Spartacus O'Leprosy are the two central characters on A Scare at Bedtime, an Irish adult comedy televised puppet show. Created and performed by Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara, more recently, the brothers have presented The Podge and Rodge Show, a chat show in...
. Finbar, with the Irish Tenors, has guested on all the major network morning shows in the United States, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today Show, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' the Early Show as well as Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
and several appearances on the home shopping network QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
.
Wright's musical influences are eclectic as he lists such notables as Count John McCormack, Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
and Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. Still deeply spiritual, Finbar includes at least one piece of sacred music in every concert and on every album. Each of Wright's recordings reflect these wide-ranging influences as he embraces all genres of music encompassing popular, jazz, traditional Irish, rock-classics, Spanish rhythms, Neopolitan romance, old standards and light classical.
The Irish Tenors
The first to be asked by producer Bill Hughes to join a new group called The Irish Tenors in 1998, Wright had to decline under the terms of his contract with Sony BMG Music. In 2000, having left Sony, Finbar was asked to step in at the last minute to replace John McDermottJohn McDermott (singer)
John Charles McDermott is a Scottish-Canadian tenor best known for his rendering of the song "Danny Boy". Born in Glasgow, Scotland, John moved with his family to Willowdale, Ontario, Canada in 1965. Growing up in a musical family, his only formal musical training was at St...
, who decided to leave the group, for the "Live from Belfast" PBS special. Since that time Finbar has recorded six albums and 5 PBS specials with the Irish Tenors.
The Irish Tenors, in 2001, filmed a historic PBS special at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
, hosted by Irish/American actor Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
. Their album Ellis Island topped Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Heatseeker list and landed on its "Top 10 Best of 2001". In 2007 the South Carolina Legislature issued a "Proclamation" welcoming the trio to that State at their performance in Charleston.
In 2003, The Irish Tenors participated in the prestigious UNICEF Snowflake Lighting celebrations to kick off the festive season in New York, sharing the stage with the Mayor of New York, Michael R Bloomberg, and movie star Liv Tyler
Liv Tyler
Liv Rundgren Tyler is an American actress and model. She is the daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer, Steven Tyler, and Bebe Buell, model and singer. Tyler began a career in modeling at the age of 14, but after less than a year she decided to focus on acting. She made her film debut in the 1994...
, who hosted the event.
Wright and Irish Tenors' mate Anthony Kearns were asked by ABC's Good Morning America to sing the hymn "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
" for their coverage of the funeral of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 2004.
2006 saw Finbar and the Irish Tenors host the 9 part Summer variety series for RTÉ produced by Bill Hughes' Mind the Gap productions, The Irish Tenors, Heroes & Friends. "Heroes & Friends" included Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, Finbar Furey, Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
, Sharon Shannon, Rebecca Storm and Shane Ward, among others. In 2006 Finbar and the Irish Tenors welcomed newcomer Karl Scully
Karl scully
Karl Scully kicked started his career in 2000 by co-starring alongside Ewan Mcgregor in the blockbuster hit ‘Nora,’ and later admitted to giving the star ‘a few singing lessons.’...
into the group, replacing John McDermott, who stepped-in temporarily in 2004.
Personal life
While attending classes at the Cork School of Music in 1984 Wright met a young woman, Angela Desmond. After leaving the priesthood, Finbar happened to meet her again and the romance resulted in marriage in 1990. ""By the time I left the priesthood I hadn't seen her for a few years. Then in 1988 I met her [again], by chance, and we met every day for a month and we haven't been apart since.""The Wrights prefer to live and raise their two children, a son and a daughter, away from the music capitals and bright lights. The family resides, still, in County Cork Ireland; ""If you are to have any kind of a fruitful life, it isn't wealth and success that matter - happiness is the important thing.""
Discography
Finbar Wright
| Title | Year | Label | Sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When I Need Love | 2008 | Dara-Dolphin | Produced by Finbar Wright | |
| The Essential Finbar Wright | 2006 | Sony BMG | Gold | Compilation |
| Another Season | 1999 | Ritz | Gold | Wright wrote "Black Wind", "Freedom" |
| I Give My Heart | 1997 | Sony BMG | Platinum | Wright wrote song "My Girl's In Love With Depardieu" |
| Lift The Wings | 1995 | Sony BMG | Platinum | Wright wrote lyrics to "In My Arms" |
| A Tribute to John McCormack | 1993 | Sony BMG | Gold | Accompanied RTÉ special |
| Whatever You Believe | 1992 | Sony BMG | Platinum x3 | Ireland #1 Christmas Single "Whatever You Believe" |
| Because | 1991 | Sony BMG | Platinum | Produced by Phil Coulter |
The Irish Tenors
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Live In Belfast | 2000 | PBS television |
| Ellis Island | 2001 | PBS television |
| Best of The Irish Tenors | 2002 | Compilation 1999-2001 |
| We Three Kings | 2003 | Christmas |
| Heritage | 2004 | with the Chicagoland Orchestra |
| Sacred | 2005 | Recorded in Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... |
Television
| Title | Network | Broadcast Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finbar Wright in Concert | PBS | 1991 | Belfast Opera House, Belfast, NI | |
| Music of the Night | RTÉ | 1992/1993 | RTÉ Studios, Dublin, Ireland | Co-hosted with Angeline Ball |
| Tribute to John McCormack | RTÉ | 1994 | National Concert Hall Dublin | |
| Live in Belfast | PBS | 2000 | Belfast Opera House, Belfast, NI | with the Irish Tenors |
| Ellis Island | PBS | 2001 | Ellis Island, NY, USA | Billboard "Top 10 of 2001" |
| Heritage | PBS | 2004 | Rosemont Theater, Chicago, IL, USA | with the Irish Tenors |
| The Irish Tenors & Friends | RTÉ | 2006 | Ardmore Studios, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland | with the Irish Tenors |
Writing
The Gift of GlibBlarney
Blarney is a town and townland in County Cork, Ireland. It lies north-west of Cork and is famed as the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.-Tourism:Blarney town is a major tourist attraction in County Cork...
(often referred to as "Gift of Gab") was not lost on this Corkman as Finbar began writing song lyrics several years ago, 4 of which have appeared on his recordings. A more literary style emerged and he began writing full-length verse. Private Friends is a collection of some of Wright's poetry published in 2001 and dedicated to his brother, Robert, who, at age 47, had died suddenly the same year.
Awards
- Ireland Feis Ceoil Singing Competition Dublin, winner x 4
- BBC Cardiff "Singer of the World" winner 1989
- "Male Entertainer of the Year" 1992 Irish Recorded Music Association
- "Male Entertainer of the Year" 1993 Irish Recorded Music Association
Career Timeline
- 1979 — Deacon at historic Papal Mass, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland
- 1979-1987 — Catholic Priest
- 1989 — Winner BBC Cardiff "Singer of the World"
- 1989-Pres — Solo Singing Artist
- 1991 — USA PBS special, "Finbar Wright in Concert"
- 1992 — Debut at Carnegie Hall, New York City, New York, USA
- 1992 — Album Whatever You Believe reached triple platinum sales and single "Whatever You Believe" hit #1
- 1991-1993 — Host "Music of the Night" RTÉ
- 1992 — IRMA "Male Entertainer of the Year"
- 1993 — IRMA "Male Entertainer of the Year"
- 1994 — Narrated and Performed in RTÉ's "Tribute to John McCormack" special
- 1991-1999 — Sony BMG Artist
- 1999-2003 — Ritz Records Artist/Music Matters Artist
- 2000-Pres — Member of the "Irish Tenors"
- 2001 — As part of the Irish Tenors performed in the historic USA PBS special "Ellis Island"
- 2004 — Landmark performance at the Hollywood Bowl with the Irish Tenors and guests, Three Mo' Tenors, with the LA Philharmonic
- 2005 — Sang with Anthony Kearns for U.S. television's ABC "Good Morning America" coverage of the funeral for former President Ronald Reagan.
Periodicals
- Ireland's Own Magazine, October 2006, Cover Story "Finbar Wright"
- Woman's Way Magazine, December 28, 2004 "All the Presidents' Man"
- Irish Sunday Mirror, December 12, 2004, "Why I Owe The Pope A Tenor"
- Chicago Sun Times, July 13, 2001, "Irish Tenor Having a Ball"
- Billboard, October 20, 2001, p. 78