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Brian Kennedy
If there were a special award for being multi-gifted, then Brian Kennedy would surely walk away with it. A critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and proven radio/television presenter, he is now acknowledged as an author of considerable worth, having produced a series of short stories and two novels (with a third on the way) not surprisingly, for a lyricist of his calibre.
Brian Kennedy is not only a prolific songwriter but also a master interpreter of lyrics and audiences around the world continue to praise his exceptional vocal talent. His performances include his own buoyant and often reflective songs, alongside classics from Neil Young, traditional Irish sources and Van Morrison, who Kennedy spent many years recording and playing with.
Brian was first spotted by Belfast-born, international legend, Van Morrison, and he joined Van s renowned Blues and Soul World Tour for a period of six years, performing with some of the legends of the music industry Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, and many others. He also backed Van on several albums Days Like This, The Healing Game, Back on Top and others, combining with Van and John Lee Hooker on the live album, One Night in San Francisco. Recognition of his exceptional vocal talent came when asked by Van to record the soundtrack version of Crazy Love for the film When a Man Loves a Woman.
Speaking about Brian s version of the traditional Irish classic, Carrickfergus , John Shand of the Sydney Morning Herald said, It is hard to imagine a better voice to sing this glorious lament than Kennedy s, keening like uilleann pipes over gentle finger picking. It is the ethereal upper register that so sets this voice apart, but the truly remarkable aspect of it is how seamlessly he moves between his natural tenor and his falsetto.
In the firm belief that music is the language of emotion, Brian takes his audiences on a roller coaster ride for a full two hours and still finds the energy to meet up with them after each show. But the casual manner and good-humoured banter on and off stage, belie the hard work and early struggles of a man who seems born to perform, spellbinding his audiences while making it all look so easy. Brian Kennedy possesses such a soulful, angelic voice that he can reduce grown people to tears.
Brian takes his audiences on a roller coaster ride for a full two hours and still finds the energy to meet up with them after each show. But the casual manner and good-humoured banter on and off stage, belie the hard work and early struggles of a man who seems born to perform, spellbinding his audiences while making it all look so easy.
