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The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings,
Andrea Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that r ...
(lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals),
Caroline Caroline may refer to: People *Caroline (given name), a feminine given name * J. C. Caroline (born 1933), American college and National Football League player * Jordan Caroline (born 1996), American (men's) basketball player Places Antarctica * ...
(drums, percussion, piano, bodhrán, vocals) and Jim (guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals). They are from
Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
, County Louth,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
. The Corrs have released seven studio albums and numerous
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
, which have reached
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
in many countries, and have sold 40 million albums worldwide.World Chart Positions
acharts.us. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
'' Talk on Corners'', their most successful album to date, reached multi-Platinum status in Australia, and in the UK it was the highest selling album of the year. The band is one of only a handful of acts who have held the top two positions simultaneously in the UK album charts, with ''Talk on Corners'' at number one and ''
Forgiven, Not Forgotten ''Forgiven, Not Forgotten'' is the debut studio album by Irish pop rock group the Corrs. It was released by Atlantic Records on 26 September 1995 across the world. The album was primarily produced by David Foster, with additional production by ...
'' at number two. The latter was the year's third highest selling album in Australia. Their third studio album, '' In Blue'', went to number one in seventeen countries.UK Searchable Charts Database
everyhit.com. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
The Corrs have been actively involved in philanthropic activities. They have performed in numerous charity concerts, such as The Prince's Trust event in 2004 and Live 8 in 2005. The same year, they were awarded honorary MBEs for their contributions to music and charity. The band was inactive for almost ten years because Jim and Caroline were raising families, while Andrea and Sharon were pursuing solo careers while raising families of their own. According to Sharon, it was uncertain if and when The Corrs would reunite. Rumours of a reunion sparked in early 2015 and in a radio interview with Chris Evans in June 2015, Andrea confirmed that The Corrs were working on a new album and would play the BBC Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park festival. Their sixth studio album, ''
White Light White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
'', was released on 27 November 2015, and was accompanied by a European tour. After two years, their seventh studio album, '' Jupiter Calling'', was released on 10 November 2017.


History


1990–1994: Early commercial success

The Corrs are from Dundalk, County Louth in Ireland. While Caroline and Andrea were still attending school, Jim and Sharon began playing as a duo, often at McManus's, their aunt's pub. In 1990, Jim and Sharon added their younger siblings, to form a
quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...
. Their career took off in 1991 when they auditioned for the film '' The Commitments''. Jim, Sharon and Caroline each had small parts as musicians, while Andrea had a speaking part as Sharon Rabbitte. John Hughes noticed them when they auditioned for the film and agreed to become their manager. In 1994, the USA ambassador to Ireland,
Jean Kennedy Smith Jean Ann Kennedy Smith (February 20, 1928June 17, 2020) was an American diplomat, activist, humanitarian, and author who served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998. She was a member of the Kennedy family, the eighth of nine ...
, invited them to perform at the
1994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States ...
in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
after seeing them play a gig at Whelan's Music Bar in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
. After an appearance at the
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, United States, The Corrs joined
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
's worldwide ''Falling into You Around the World Tour'' as a supporting act.


1995–1999: International fame

Jason Flom,
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...
's head of A&R, recommended that they meet
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
, a Canadian musician, producer, composer and arranger. The Corrs played live for Foster and he agreed to sign them to Atlantic Records. They extended their stay in the US for over five months to record their debut album, ''
Forgiven, Not Forgotten ''Forgiven, Not Forgotten'' is the debut studio album by Irish pop rock group the Corrs. It was released by Atlantic Records on 26 September 1995 across the world. The album was primarily produced by David Foster, with additional production by ...
''. It featured six instrumental selections among its Celtic-influenced tracks. The album sold well in Ireland, Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway and Spain. Major success in the US and the UK, however, was not immediately forthcoming. Eventually, the album reached
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
status in the UK and Australia, and 4× Platinum in Ireland, making it one of the most successful debuts by an Irish group. The Corrs' next album, 1997's '' Talk on Corners'', was produced by Glen Ballard, who was respected for his collaboration with
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...
. The Corrs also collaborated with Carole Bayer Sager, Oliver Leiber, Rick Nowels and Billy Steinberg. It was successful in Ireland and the UK and entered the Australian album charts at number 3. After the band recorded a version of " Dreams" for a
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epo ...
tribute album, they re-released '' Talk on Corners'', with new remixes of " What Can I Do?", " So Young" and "
Runaway Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proc ...
". The special edition topped the charts worldwide and again reached multi-Platinum status in the UK and Australia. In June 1998, The Corrs participated in the Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia charity concert. The concert was held in
Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label= Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. A town, and seat o ...
, Italy and was hosted by
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numero ...
. The concert aimed to raise money to build the Pavarotti and Friends Liberian Children's Village, to provide refuge for children in
Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast� ...
. The following year, The Corrs received a BRIT Award for Best International Band. They performed live on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's Unplugged on 5 October 1999 at Ardmore Studios, County Wicklow, Ireland. The resulting CD and DVD sold 2.7 million copies and featured live performances of previously released songs, plus a new song, "
Radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...
", later featured on their third album, '' In Blue''.


2000–2002: Mainstream success

In 2000, The Corrs returned to mainstream success with their third album. Unlike their previous albums, '' In Blue'' moved towards mainstream pop. ''In Blue'' hit number one in its first sales week in, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the UK and debuted at No. 2 in France and Norway. It climbed to the top spot during its second week in Sweden and Spain. The Corrs worked with
Alejandro Sanz Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Album of the Yea ...
on ''In Blue'', recording "Una Noche (One Night)", a duet between Sanz and Andrea Corr; Sanz played Andrea's love interest in the music video. In return, The Corrs performed "Me Iré (The Hardest Day)" with him on his album, ''El Alma Al Aire''. The Corrs collaborated with
Robert Lange The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
to produce a mainstream hit single, " Breathless", which reached number 20 in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number seven in Australia, number three in Ireland and New Zealand,New Zealand Chart Positions
charts.org.na. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
and topped the charts in the UK. The album went straight to number one in the Irish Albums Chart, the third highest single-week sales in the history of the charts, behind U2's '' The Best of 1980–1990'' and
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
' '' Be Here Now''. ''In Blue'' achieved Platinum sales in the US, double platinum in the UK, and 4× Platinum in Australia. During the production of the album, the Corrs' mother, Jean, died while waiting for a lung transplant. She was buried at St. Patrick's cemetery in
Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
. "No More Cry", written by Andrea and Caroline Corr for the album, was written to help their father get over his grief. In 2001, The Corrs released their first
compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...
, '' Best of The Corrs''. The album featured previously released songs and new tracks, such as the singles "
Would You Be Happier? "Would You Be Happier?" is a single by Irish band the Corrs, taken from their greatest hits album '' Best of The Corrs'' (2001). The song was first released in Australia on 1 October 2001 and was issued in Europe later the same month. The single ...
", "Make You Mine" and "Lifting Me". The album did not chart highly in Ireland but reached Platinum status in Australia. The Corrs collaborated with Josh Groban, recording "Canto Alla Vita", for his eponymous debut album. When the band returned to Ireland, they hosted another live concert at Ardmore Studios, where they previously performed for the
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's Unplugged series. Guest performers included Bono from U2 and Ronnie Wood from
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
. During the concert, Bono joined Andrea Corr for a duet of Nancy Sinatra's "
Summer Wine "Summer Wine" is a song written by Lee Hazlewood. It was originally sung by Suzi Jane Hokom and Lee Hazlewood in 1966, but it was made famous by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood in 1967. Lyrics Lyrically, "Summer Wine" describes a man, voiced by H ...
" and a performance of
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams lef ...
' " When the Stars Go Blue". Ronnie Wood joined the band onstage to play guitar on their version of
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
's "
Little Wing "Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. It is a slower tempo, rhythm and blues-inspired ballad featuring Hendrix's vocal and guitar with recording studio effects accompanied by bass, ...
" and the Rolling Stones' " Ruby Tuesday". These performances were recorded and compiled on a live album, '' VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin'', which was released in the UK.


2003–2005: Later years

In 2003, Andrea Corr recorded "Time Enough for Tears", written by Bono and Gavin Friday for the film '' In America''. This track was featured on The Corrs' 2004 album, '' Borrowed Heaven''. Recorded over an 18-month period in Dublin and Los Angeles, ''Borrowed Heaven'' was produced by Olle Romo, who previously worked with
Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...
and
Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...
. The album marked The Corrs' return to the
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
genre with a slightly heavier emphasis on guitars. Nevertheless, the album was not as successful as their predecessors, but at least successful enough to enter at No.2 in both the UK and Germany and reach
silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
status in the UK as well as gold in Germany. Jason Duffy temporarily joined the band as drummer, filling in for Caroline while she was pregnant with her second child and unable to tour. ''Borrowed Heaven'' was dedicated to the band's parents. The band also dedicated their 2005 album ''
Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. ...
'' to their late mother. It is regarded as a traditional Irish album as the band
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...
traditional Irish songs taken from their mother's songbook to commemorate their 15 years as a band. The album was produced by Mitchell Froom and featured the BBC Radio 2 Orchestra. The songs on ''Home'' spanned the history of Irish music. It also included two songs in Irish, "Bríd Óg Ní Mháille (Brigid O'Malley)" and "Buachaill Ón Éirne (Boy from Lough Erne)". ''Home'' had success in Ireland, France (reaching No. 5) and Germany (reaching No. 12) and was certified silver in the UK.


2006–2014: Solo projects and retrospective releases

The Corrs went on an extended hiatus starting in 2006, raising their own families and pursuing solo careers. Andrea released her first solo album, '' Ten Feet High'', on 25 June 2007. It was produced by Nellee Hooper, who has worked with
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
,
Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderweb ...
and
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
; Bono was an executive producer. The first single released from the album was "
Shame on You (to Keep My Love from Me) "Shame on You (to Keep My Love from Me)" is a song written and performed by Andrea Corr for her debut solo album ''Ten Feet High'' (2007). It is an anti-war protest song written from the viewpoint of a female whose partner has gone off to war. The ...
". On 30 May 2011, Andrea released her second album, '' Lifelines'', an album of cover songs, with The Blue Nile's " Tinseltown in the Rain" as the first single. Sharon started pursuing a solo career in 2009, her single "
It's Not a Dream It's Not a Dream is the first single by Irish singer–songwriter Sharon Corr, taken from her debut solo album '' Dream of You''. On 15 July, Sharon appeared on television show '' This Morning'', having been booked by host Phillip Schofield via ...
" was released on 29 August 2009. On 10 September 2010 her debut album '' Dream of You'' was released, with her cover of " Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" by
The Korgis The Korgis are a British pop band known mainly for their hit single "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" in 1980. The band was originally composed of singer/guitarist/keyboardist Andy Davis (born Andrew Cresswell-Davis 10 August 1949) and singe ...
as the first single. Sharon finished writing her second album in March 2012. The Corrs released their second
compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...
, '' Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection'', on 20 November 2006. The album consisted of several of the band's hits, as well as tracks that had not previously been released on Corrs albums, such as " I Know My Love", a collaboration with The Chieftains and "
All I Have to Do Is Dream "All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a song made famous by the Everly Brothers, written by Boudleaux Bryant of the husband-and-wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and published in 1958. The song is ranked No. 141 on the ''Rolling Stone' ...
", Andrea's duet with Laurent Voulzy. The album also featured remixes of " When the Stars Go Blue" and "Goodbye". The latter was released as a download-only single to promote the album. However, the album charted poorly, reaching number 24 in Ireland. On 25 September 2007, The Corrs released another compilation album, '' The Works''. The album consists of three CDs that feature previously released songs. It performed worse than its predecessor, failing to chart at all.


2015–present: Return with ''White Light'' and ''Jupiter Calling''

In June 2015, Andrea announced that the Corrs would perform at Live in Hyde Park on 13 November and were in the process of making a new record. On 17 September 2015, the band confirmed their sixth studio album, ''
White Light White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
'', which was released on 27 November 2015 and was accompanied by a European tour, which took place in 2016. According to an interview, released by Jim to Music Radar, the band had already completed the recording for their seventh studio album, '' Jupiter Calling''. Produced by
T Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
, it was released on 10 November 2017, and was preceded by a concert on 19 October at the Royal Albert Hall in London. On 26 November 2022, the Corrs performed together for the first time since 2017, playing to a crowd of approximately 11,000 at Hope Estate Winery, in Australia's
Hunter Valley The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and ...
region, their first concert in Australia in 21 years. Due to the success of the concert, the Corrs announced on 4 December 2022 that they will tour Australia in October and November 2023.


Musical style and influences

When asked to describe their genre,
Caroline Corr Caroline Georgina Corr MBE (born 17 March 1973), known to fans as the "Chick with the Stick", is an Irish singer and drummer for the Celtic folk rock band The Corrs. In addition to the drums, Corr plays the ''bodhrán'', ''cajón'', percussions ...
said it was a "blend of modern rhythms and technology with acoustic instruments, violin, tin whistle, drums and of course the voices, the marrying of these instruments is our sound". The Corrs' music is typically categorised as a mixture of
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
and
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
. This is evident in their first two albums, ''Forgiven, Not Forgotten'' and ''Talk on Corners'', although Andrea described the genre of ''Talk on Corners'' by saying "it asgot more of an edgy feel, a little bit more guitar-orientated and also an Irish sound, which is in ''Forgiven, Not Forgotten''." ''In Blue'' moved towards mainstream pop, placing heavy emphasis on synthesizers. The move attracted criticism from many; one ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' critic called it "a disheartening example of musical ethnic cleansing". A ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' critic called it "the best mainstream pop album you're likely to come across". ''Borrowed Heaven'' placed heavier emphasis on guitars, while retaining the original folk rock genre. ''Home'' is a traditional Irish album, where the band
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...
many traditional Irish songs. The album contained songs from different eras of Irish music, including a 1982 song written by
Phil Lynott Philip Parris Lynott (, ; 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish singer, bassist, and songwriter. His most commercially successful group was Thin Lizzy, of which he was a founding member, the principal songwriter, lead vocalist and b ...
("Old Town") while the 1,000-year-old "Return to Fingal" featured as a bonus track on the Japanese, limited German and Spanish editions. ''White Light'' returned to a similar sound to ''In Blue'', with much more electronic-based instrumentation, while ''Jupiter Calling'' is characterised as a more stripped back live performance with minimal overdubbing. The Corrs' main influences were their parents who were musicians and encouraged them to learn instruments. They drew inspiration from musicians such as
The Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...
,
The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
, The Carpenters,
Simon and Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of ...
and
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epo ...
, which Sharon said in an interview with CNN is the reason "our songs are very, very melodic and armonious.


Philanthropy

The Corrs have been active in supporting charitable and philanthropic causes and disaster relief. In 1998, the Corrs participated in the '' Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia'' charity concert. The concert was held in
Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label= Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. A town, and seat o ...
, Italy and was hosted by
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numero ...
. Among the other participating artists were
Jon Bon Jovi John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He ...
, Natalie Cole, Pino Daniele,
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
, Florent Pagny,
Eros Ramazzotti Eros Walter Luciano Ramazzotti (; born 28 October 1963) is an Italian pop singer, musician and songwriter. He is popular in Italy and most European countries, and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in bot ...
,
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...
, Vanessa L. Williams,
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
, Trisha Yearwood and Zucchero. The concert raised money that was used to build the
Pavarotti and Friends Pavarotti & Friends was a series of benefit concerts hosted by Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti between 1992 and 2003 in his home town of Modena, Italy. Proceeds from the events were donated to humanitarian causes including the internation ...
Liberian Children's Village and to provide a refuge for orphans in
Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast� ...
during the
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
. The Corrs, along with
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, '' The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want Wha ...
,
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...
, Boyzone, U2 and
Enya Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...
held a charity concert in 1998, to raise money for the victims of the
Omagh bombing The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on 15 August 1998 in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group who oppo ...
in Northern Ireland. The Corrs' mother, Jean, died in Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, England. The Corrs showed their appreciation to the hospital by performing a one-off charity concert, held in 2001 at the
Telewest Arena The Utilita Arena Newcastle (formerly the Newcastle Arena, Telewest Arena and Metro Radio Arena) is a large indoor arena in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Owned and operated by ASM Global and sponsored by Utilita Energy, it hosts ...
, raising more than £100,000. The money was used to extend the William Leech Centre of the hospital, which is dedicated to research into lung treatment. The city of Newcastle presented them a limited edition painting of Tyneside's quayside in return. The Corrs played at a 2004 charity concert for The Prince's Trust, a UK-based charity that provides help, training, financial, and practical support to UK citizens aged between 14 and 30. They performed with The Buggles,
Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Idol ...
,
Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...
,
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, '' Let Go'' (2002), is the best-selling album of the 2 ...
,
Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male R ...
, Busted,
Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...
,
Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired de ...
, Sugababes and
Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
and raised more than £1 million. They are ambassadors for the
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...
's "
46664 46664 was a series of AIDS benefit concerts played in honour of Nelson Mandela by South African and foreign musicians between 2003 and 2008. Origin The second time that Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island was in 1964, and he was the 466th pr ...
" campaign, where they performed live to raise awareness towards
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
in Africa. The concert was held on 29 November 2003 in
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, South Africa. The concert aimed to " aiseawareness of HIV in South Africa and launched the 46664 campaign" and the money raised was donated to the ''Nelson Mandela Foundation for Aids''. During the Edinburgh Live 8 on 2 July 2005, the Corrs performed " When the Stars Go Blue" alongside
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...
to promote the
Make Poverty History Make Poverty History are organizations in a number of countries, which focus on issues relating to 8th Millennium Development Goal such as aid, trade and justice. They generally form a coalition of aid and development agencies which work togethe ...
campaign, which aimed to increase awareness and pressure governments into taking actions towards relieving
extreme poverty Extreme poverty, deep poverty, abject poverty, absolute poverty, destitution, or penury, is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, includi ...
. In recognition of their charity work, The Corrs were made honorary Members of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
in 2005 by
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
.


Band members

Arranged from youngest to oldest: * Andrea Corr (born 1974) – lead vocals, tin whistle,
ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
,
mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...
*
Caroline Corr Caroline Georgina Corr MBE (born 17 March 1973), known to fans as the "Chick with the Stick", is an Irish singer and drummer for the Celtic folk rock band The Corrs. In addition to the drums, Corr plays the ''bodhrán'', ''cajón'', percussions ...
(born 1973) – drums, percussion, piano, bodhrán, vocals * Sharon Corr (born 1970) – violin, keyboards, vocals * Jim Corr (born 1964) – guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals In late 1995,
Anthony Drennan Anthony "Anto" Drennan (born on 1 November 1958) is an English-born Irish guitarist noted for his involvement with the Corrs, Genesis and Mike + the Mechanics among others. Drennan is from a musical Irish family and was born in Luton, England ...
(lead guitar) and Keith Duffy (bass guitar) joined the band and remained a permanent part of the touring and recording line-up. When Drennan was released in late 1997 to tour with
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
, his temporary replacement for two legs of the ''Talk on Corners'' tour was Irish guitarist Conor Brady. Keith Duffy's younger brother Jason Duffy joined the line-up as drummer for the ''Borrowed Heaven'' tour due to Caroline's pregnancy. Both Anthony Drennan and Keith Duffy re-joined the band for their 2015 return.


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Forgiven, Not Forgotten ''Forgiven, Not Forgotten'' is the debut studio album by Irish pop rock group the Corrs. It was released by Atlantic Records on 26 September 1995 across the world. The album was primarily produced by David Foster, with additional production by ...
'' (1995) * '' Talk on Corners'' (1997) * '' In Blue'' (2000) * '' Borrowed Heaven'' (2004) * ''
Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. ...
'' (2005) * ''
White Light White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
'' (2015) * '' Jupiter Calling'' (2017)


Tours

* Forgiven, Not Forgotten World Tour (1996–1997) * Talk on Corners World Tour (1997–1999) * In Blue Tour (2000–2001) * Borrowed Heaven tour (2004) * The Corrs: In Concert (2004–2005) * White Light Tour (2016)


Awards

Many of the Corrs' songs have charted at No. 1 in numerous countries. They won one BRIT Award, in 1999, and have twice been nominated for Meteor Music Awards, in 2005 and 2006. They were nominated for two
Grammy awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
in 2001 too: one for their song '' Breathless'' and for another one due to their instrumental song ''
Rebel Heart ''Rebel Heart'' is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released by Interscope Records on March 6, 2015. She worked on the album throughout 2014, co-writing and co-producing it with various musicians, including Di ...
''. In 2002, they took home Best Pop Act honours at the Hot Press Irish Music Awards held at the BBC's Blackstaff studios in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
.


See also

* Music of Ireland * List of artists who reached number one in Ireland


References


Sources

* Cornwell, Jane, ''The Corrs'', London: Virgin Publishing Ltd.


Footnotes


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Corrs, The Celtic music groups Sibling quartets Irish folk musical groups Irish folk rock groups Irish pop rock music groups Musicians from County Louth Atlantic Records artists Brit Award winners Irish pop music groups Celtic fusion musicians Musical quartets Lava Records artists Musical groups established in 1990 Musical groups disestablished in 2005 Musical groups reestablished in 2015 Irish-language singers World Music Awards winners Musical groups from County Louth East West Records artists Female-fronted musical groups