News / Entertainment
Godfather of Irish Music Tommy Makem Dies at 74
Folk singer Tommy Makem, known as the Godfather of Irish Music, passed away on August 1 in Dover, New Hampshire at the age of 74.
Born in Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland Makem immigrated to the United States in 1955 when he was 22-years old. That same year he was labeled, along with Joan Baez, as an up and coming folk singer in America.
Makem played with the Clancy Brothers and performed before sellout crowds at Carnegie Hall as well as made appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Tonight Show.”
Among Makem’s best known songs were “Four Green Fields,” “Gentle Annie”, “Red is the Rose”, “The Rambles of Spring”, “The Winds Are Singing Freedom.”
