1944-2019
Dear Friends, It is with a heavy heart that I write to tell you that Arty McGlynn, my dear friend and musical collaborator over the past twenty years has passed away. I started working with Arty when I was producing an album with Sean Keane in 1998. I was new to Ireland and it was Arty who introduced me to some of the top musicians like Rod McVey and James Blennerhasset. Sean’s album “No Stranger” was very successful and Arty and I collaborated on two more albums with Sean as well as one with Charley Landsborough. For many years Arty, Mick Daly and I played gigs in Ireland, often with his wife the brilliant fiddler Nollaig Casey joining us. Arty had complete command of his instrument. He started out at the age of 14 in Irish show bands. After 18 years (!!) he moved on to become Van Morrison’s band leader for 7 years. It was after that that he made an acoustic traditional solo record called “McGlynn’s Fancy,” which changed the way everyone thought about the guitar in traditional Irish music. What moved me most about Arty’s playing was his approach to slow airs, so settled, so melodic, so deeply internal. He had no equal. In company Arty could be devastatingly funny in a very understated way. I could go on, but suffice it to say that I was blessed to have Arty as a friend and will always treasure the music we made together and the time we had together. God bless Arty McGlynn
Listen/Download to Rooney Royalton Radio show dedicated to Arty McGlynn here
Friends, If you’d like to get a taste of what Arty McGlynn was like go to YouTube where you can find a clip from one of our nights at Coughlan’s in Cork
and a classic clip from the Fiddler’s fest in Baltimore where Arty introduces some tunes (which he never plays!)
Impeccable playing on the former, unequaled hilarious Irish story telling in the latter.
Obituary from IRISH TIMES