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Tommy Makem

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  • Tommy Makem
    • Born: November 4, 1932, Keady, County Armagh, Ireland
    • Died: August 1, 2007, Dover, New Hampshire, USA
    • Group member: 1956-1969
    • Reunion tour: 1984-1985

Born and raised in Keady, Co Armagh, Tommy was exposed to the music which would shape his life from an early age as his mother, Sarah Makem, was herself a distinguished folk musician.

Tommy's move to the United States in the 1950s was the catalyst for a career which would last for many years.

He teamed up with the Clancy Brothers and in 1961 he was named among the most promising newcomers on the American folk scene alongside the now-legendary musician Joan Baez.

Along with the Clancy Brothers, Tommy played to massive crowds in such iconic venues as New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Royal Albert Hall.

A solo career then beckoned, and from 1969 he went on to grace the stages of Madison Square Garden in New York and Sydney Opera House.

His career also embraced television work, and he completed series for Scottish Television, the BBC and Ulster Television, among others.

In 1975 the magical combination of Clancy and Makem was reunited after Tommy and Liam Clancy were each booked to play a festival in Cleveland Ohio, at which they were persuaded to do a set together. The partnership was to last another 13 successful years.

Matthew McCreary
Belfast Telegraph, 2007

Solo Discography
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The Lark In The Morning
(1956, USA)
[various artists]

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Newport Folk Festival 1959
(1959, USA)
[various artists]

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Newport Folk Festival 1960
(1960, USA)
[various artists]

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As I Roved Out (Field Trip-Ireland)
(1960, USA)
[various artists]

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Songs of Tommy Makem
(1961, USA)

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It Could Be A Wonderful World
(1962, USA)
[various artists]

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Songs For A Better Tomorrow
(1963, USA)
[various artists]

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It's Tommy Himself
(1967, UK)

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… Sings Tommy Makem
(1967, USA)

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Songs of Tommy Makem
(1967, USA)

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In The Dark Green Wood
(1969, USA)

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Bard Of Armagh
(1970, USA)

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Bard Of Armagh
(1970, UK)

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Love Is Lord Of All
(1971, USA)

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Vancouver & Better Times
(1971, CAN)

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Greatest Folksingers Of The 'Sixties
(1972, USA)
[various artists]

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Listen for the rafters are ringing
(1972, USA)

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Listen for the rafters are ringing
(1972, UK)

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The Sky Boat Song
(1972, CAN)

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Farewell To Nova Scotia
(1973, CAN)

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"Recorded Live" (A Room Full Of Song)
(1973, CAN)

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Songs For A Better Tomorrow
(1973, USA)
[various artists]

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In The Dark Green Woods
(1974, UK)

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Ever the Winds
(1975, UK)

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Four Green Fields
(1975, IRL)

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A Feast Of Irish Folk
(1977, IRL)
[various artists]

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Mariposa Folk Festival '75
(1976, CAN)

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Another Feast Of Irish Folk
(1980, IRL)
[various artists]

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Stars and Songs of Ireland
(1980, IRL)
[various artists]

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All The Folk That Fits
(1981, UK)
[various artists]

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An Evening with Tommy Makem
(1985, USA)

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Lonesome Waters
(1985, USA)

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Song Of The Working People
(1988, USA)
[various artists]

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Rolling Home
(1989, USA)

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Waltzing With Bears & Courting In The Kitchen
(1989, USA)

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Up & In
(1989, USA)
Dave Guard

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The Tommy Makem Songbag
(1990, USA)

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Tommy Makem and Friends in Concert
(1992, USA)
w/Barley Bree & Cherish the Ladies

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Live at the Irish Pavilion
(1993, USA)

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Bob Dylan — The 30th Anniversary Celebration
(1993, USA)
w/Clancy Bros. & Robbie O'Connell
[various artists]

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Tommy Makem's Christmas
(1995, USA)

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From The Archives
(1995, USA)

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Ancient Pulsing
(1996, USA)

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The Song Tradition
(1998, USA)

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The Girls Wont Leave the Boys Alone
(2001, USA)
Cherish the Ladies

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Songs of Tommy Makem — Re-mastered Expanded Edition
(2007, USA)