Mary Black Irish singer Date of Birth: 22.05.1955 Country: Ireland

Biography of Mary Black

Mary Black, an Irish singer, has always stood out among her colleagues. She meticulously studied contemporary compositions and selected the best, relying solely on her own taste. Her love for new, unheard melodies combined with her unique style of performance earned Black well-deserved fame. She managed to release a series of platinum albums and numerous hit singles. She is widely known for her performances in both folk and contemporary music genres. For the past 25 years, she has been considered one of the most outstanding figures in Irish music. Black actively appears on television and stage, and has had the opportunity to collaborate with legendary artists of her time. Many believe that it is Mary who is responsible for the growing popularity of Irish compositions. Previously, Irish musicians, less inclined towards experimentation, preferred to limit themselves to classic Irish ballads and the fail-proof creations of contemporary composers. Mary, however, always stood out among her colleagues. She meticulously studied contemporary compositions and selected the best, relying solely on her own taste. Her love for new, unheard melodies combined with her unique style of performance earned Black well-deserved fame. One of Black's albums, 'No Frontiers', spent over a year in the Irish 'Top 30' chart. She gained recognition and respect not only from her fans, but also from her colleagues. She collaborated with Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joan Baez, and Van Morrison, among others. Mary comes from a very musical family; her mother had an excellent singing voice and her father played the violin brilliantly. Black first caught the attention of the wider public in the late 1970s when she sang in the band 'General Humbert'. In 1983, she started working with guitarist and producer Declan Sinnott, who later became her regular collaborator. Her first album reached 4th place in the Irish charts and was recognized as one of the best Irish albums of the early 1980s. For this record, Mary received the Irish Independent Arts Award for Music, the first of many awards she would receive throughout her career. Black worked with the legendary Irish folk group 'De Danann' for a while before returning to her solo career. Her second solo album, produced by Sinnott, also went gold. In 1987, she released her first multi-platinum album, 'By the Time it Gets Dark'. By that time, Mary had become a true legend in Ireland. Her album 'No Frontiers', released in 1989, brought her international acclaim. This triple platinum record was enthusiastically listened to in Europe, Australia, Japan, and the USA. Shortly after the release of the album 'Babes in the Wood', Mary performed two sold-out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Critics praised the talented Irishwoman with one voice. The 1993 album 'The Holy Ground' could not fail after such promotion - indeed, the album went platinum the day it was released. Europe was at Mary's feet, but she wanted more. The ambitious beauty set out to conquer the United States. In 2002, Mary's biography became the basis for the documentary film 'Still Believing'. In 2008, the singer celebrated a unique milestone - 25 years since the release of her first solo album. To commemorate this significant date, Mary released a double album, '25 Years/25 Songs', which included the gems of her career. Her next album is set to be released in 2011.