Frances Black
Encyclopedia
Frances Black is an award-winning Irish
singer. A pure vocal tone and an energetic stage presence has made Black one of Ireland’s most popular singers. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she began to play with her family's band, The Black Family
, performing a mix of traditional and contemporary Irish music.
and mandolinist, a plasterer by trade and a native of Rathlin Island
, County Antrim
. Her mother Patty (from Dublin) used to sing in local dancehalls. Black is the youngest of five children, she has three brothers Shay, Michael and Martin, and one sister, Mary Black
, who is also a very well known singer.
. She gained confidence in her singing abilities and enhanced her performing skills through joining the band Arcady
in 1988, (with former De Dannan
member Johnny McDonagh, and Brendan Larrissey, Patsy Broderick, Seán Keane
, Cathal Hayden, Sharon Shannon
, and Paul Doyle). The group toured in Europe
, Iraq
and the US. They recorded their debut album, After the Ball, containing a mixture of traditional tunes and vocals/songs. The single for the album's title track, the song "After the Ball", which featured Black on lead vocals, performed very well in the Irish
charts and also made an impact on the American
folk market. Due to her young family, the gruelling touring schedule was too much for Black, so she decided to leave the group. Her last tour with the group was in the U.S. in August 1992.
Black teamed up with the Newry
singer Kieran Goss
, and the pair recorded the album Frances Black and Kieran Goss in 1992. One of the songs on the album, "Wall of Tears", was featured on the compilation album A Woman's Heart
. The album went on to become the biggest-selling Irish album ever, and this, along with the subsequent tour, advanced Black’s career in the music industry. Others artists on the album included the likes of Eleanor McEvoy
, Sharon Shannon
, Maura O'Connell
, Dolores Keane
and her sister Mary Black
, who had achieved international success by then.
and New Zealand
in March 1993 with 20 other Irish artists, in a Guinness
celebration of Irish music. This resulted in a record deal from the Irish label Dara Records. Black released her first solo album in 1994, Talk to Me. It became an instant hit, it sold over 100,000 copies and it spent eight weeks at number one in her native Ireland
. The album contained four Nanci Griffith
songs (which were unrecorded by Nanci at the time of the release), one Vince Gill
song and John Lennon
’s "Intuition". However, it was her cover of the Christie Hennessy
song, "All the Lies That You Told Me", that received the most attention and it signalled the arrival of Frances Black as a major new talent. Talk to Me was released in the UK and US also, where she toured in 1994.
In March 1995, Black’s second solo also, The Sky Road, was released in Ireland
, UK and US. She was the recipient of the Best Album by a Female award, by the IRMA
. Due to her rising popularity in America, she embarked on her second solo tour there in 1995. Among Black's most successful singles are re-recordings of Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore" in 1996 and in 1997, the Yvonne Elliman
-popularized tune "Love Me, Please". 1997 saw the release of Black's album The Smile On Your Face. It contained songs written by numerous different Irish
, English
and American
songwriters. The follow-up album was 1998’s Don't Get Me Wrong, which was released in the UK under Sony Records and was Black’s fourth solo effort. It once again cemented Black’s reputation as an international performer, becoming just as revered as her older sister
.
2001 brought the release of a compilation, The Best of Frances Black, again on Dara-Dolphin Records. The disc included 16 tracks from Black's recordings with Arcady
and The Black Family
, as well as her solo recordings. Her two most recent albums How High the Moon (2003) and This Love Will Carry (2006) have also sold very well in Ireland and Black toured the US in support of the recordings. Her latest compilation, The Essential Frances Black, (2008) went platinum and contained 40 of her most popular songs.
In October 2011, Black supported Sinn Féin politician Martin McGuinness
in his Irish presidential election bid.
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...
singer. A pure vocal tone and an energetic stage presence has made Black one of Ireland’s most popular singers. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she began to play with her family's band, The Black Family
The Black Family (band)
The Black Family are a Celtic music ensemble, composed of Mary and Frances Black and their siblings, Shay, Michael, and Martin. The family has been called "one of the most important musical clans in Ireland"....
, performing a mix of traditional and contemporary Irish music.
Background
Black was born in Dublin in 1960 into a very musical family. Her father Kevin was a keen fiddle playerFiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
and mandolinist, a plasterer by trade and a native of Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island is an island off the coast of County Antrim, and is the northernmost point of Northern Ireland. Rathlin is the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland, with a rising population of now just over 100 people, and is the most northerly inhabited island off the Irish coast...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. Her mother Patty (from Dublin) used to sing in local dancehalls. Black is the youngest of five children, she has three brothers Shay, Michael and Martin, and one sister, Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
, who is also a very well known singer.
Pre-solo
Black's musical career began at 17, when she began singing with her siblings, in her family group, known as The Black FamilyThe Black Family (band)
The Black Family are a Celtic music ensemble, composed of Mary and Frances Black and their siblings, Shay, Michael, and Martin. The family has been called "one of the most important musical clans in Ireland"....
. She gained confidence in her singing abilities and enhanced her performing skills through joining the band Arcady
Arcady
ARCADY is the acronym for . This software, produced by the Transport Research Laboratory , provides information on traffic flow including modelling capacity queues and delays at roundabouts...
in 1988, (with former De Dannan
De Dannan
De Dannan was an Irish folk music group. They were formed by Frankie Gavin , Alec Finn , Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh and Charlie Piggott as a result of sessions in Hughes's Pub in An Spidéal, County Galway, subsequently inviting Dolores Keane to join the band...
member Johnny McDonagh, and Brendan Larrissey, Patsy Broderick, Seán Keane
Sean Keane
Seán Keane may refer to:*Seán Keane , fiddle player of The Chieftains*Seán Keane , Irish folk singer; brother of singer Dolores Keane...
, Cathal Hayden, Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
, and Paul Doyle). The group toured in 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...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and the US. They recorded their debut album, After the Ball, containing a mixture of traditional tunes and vocals/songs. The single for the album's title track, the song "After the Ball", which featured Black on lead vocals, performed very well in the Irish
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...
charts and also made an impact on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk market. Due to her young family, the gruelling touring schedule was too much for Black, so she decided to leave the group. Her last tour with the group was in the U.S. in August 1992.
Black teamed up with the Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
singer Kieran Goss
Kieran Goss
Kieran Goss is a Northern Irish contemporary singer-songwriter.-Biography:Kieran Goss was born and raised in Mayobridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. He was just nine years old when he got his first guitar...
, and the pair recorded the album Frances Black and Kieran Goss in 1992. One of the songs on the album, "Wall of Tears", was featured on the compilation album A Woman's Heart
A Woman's Heart
A Woman's Heart is a compilation of twelve tracks performed by six female Irish artists, namely Eleanor McEvoy, Mary Black, Dolores Keane, Sharon Shannon, Frances Black, and Maura O'Connell...
. The album went on to become the biggest-selling Irish album ever, and this, along with the subsequent tour, advanced Black’s career in the music industry. Others artists on the album included the likes of Eleanor McEvoy
Eleanor McEvoy
Eleanor McEvoy is one of Ireland's most accomplished contemporary singer/songwriters. McEvoy composed the song Only A Woman's Heart, title track of A Woman's Heart, the best-selling Irish album in Irish history.-Biography:...
, Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
, Maura O'Connell
Maura O'Connell
Maura O'Connell is an Irish singer and actress. She is known for her contemporary interpretations of Irish folk songs, strongly influenced by American country music.-Background:...
, Dolores Keane
Dolores Keane
Dolores Keane is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the successful group De Dannan, and has since embarked on a very successful solo career, establishing herself as one of the most loved interpreters of Irish song.-Background:Keane was born in a small village...
and her sister Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
, who had achieved international success by then.
Solo career
Black received rave reviews while on tour in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in March 1993 with 20 other Irish artists, in a Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
celebration of Irish music. This resulted in a record deal from the Irish label Dara Records. Black released her first solo album in 1994, Talk to Me. It became an instant hit, it sold over 100,000 copies and it spent eight weeks at number one in her native 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...
. The album contained four Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
songs (which were unrecorded by Nanci at the time of the release), one Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
song and John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
’s "Intuition". However, it was her cover of the Christie Hennessy
Christie Hennessy
Christie Hennessy was an Irish folk singer-songwriter.-Early life:...
song, "All the Lies That You Told Me", that received the most attention and it signalled the arrival of Frances Black as a major new talent. Talk to Me was released in the UK and US also, where she toured in 1994.
In March 1995, Black’s second solo also, The Sky Road, was released in 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...
, UK and US. She was the recipient of the Best Album by a Female award, by the 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:...
. Due to her rising popularity in America, she embarked on her second solo tour there in 1995. Among Black's most successful singles are re-recordings of Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore" in 1996 and in 1997, the Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
-popularized tune "Love Me, Please". 1997 saw the release of Black's album The Smile On Your Face. It contained songs written by numerous different Irish
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...
, English
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...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriters. The follow-up album was 1998’s Don't Get Me Wrong, which was released in the UK under Sony Records and was Black’s fourth solo effort. It once again cemented Black’s reputation as an international performer, becoming just as revered as her older sister
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
.
2001 brought the release of a compilation, The Best of Frances Black, again on Dara-Dolphin Records. The disc included 16 tracks from Black's recordings with Arcady
Arcady
ARCADY is the acronym for . This software, produced by the Transport Research Laboratory , provides information on traffic flow including modelling capacity queues and delays at roundabouts...
and The Black Family
The Black Family
The Black Family is a professional wrestling face / tecnico stable that has been working in Asistencia Asesoría y Administración since 2000. Originally a heel / rudo stable, The Black Family currently consists of original member Dark Cuervo as well as the later additions of Dark Ozz, and Dark...
, as well as her solo recordings. Her two most recent albums How High the Moon (2003) and This Love Will Carry (2006) have also sold very well in Ireland and Black toured the US in support of the recordings. Her latest compilation, The Essential Frances Black, (2008) went platinum and contained 40 of her most popular songs.
Personal life
Black had her first child, Eoghan, when she was 19, and her second child Aoife, when she was 21. Her first marriage ended shortly afterwards, and she is now married to her second husband, Brian Allen. Her daughter Aoife Scott recorded a track on Frances' album, This Love Will Carry and is due to release her debut CD in spring 2011. Her son Eoghan Scott is an emerging singer-songwriter and producer. Frances has also suffered with alcohol addiction. However, she returned to college as a mature student in 2004 and qualified as an addiction counsellor, and did some counselling work at the Rutland Addiction Treatment Centre in Dublin. She established a charity called The Rise Foundation in 2008, which helps the families of those in addiction. It has two offices, one based in Belfast and the other in Dublin. Frances runs 8-week family programmes at her office in Dublin, and is also working on establishing a treatment centre on Rathlin Island.In October 2011, Black supported Sinn Féin politician Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
in his Irish presidential election bid.
Discography
- Frances Black and Kieran Goss (1992)
- Talk To Me (1994)
- The Sky Road (1995)
- The Smile On Your Face (1996)
- Don't Get Me Wrong (1998)
- The Best of Frances Black (2000)
- How High The Moon (2003)
- This Love Will Carry (2006)
- The Essential Frances Black (2008)