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Imelda Mary Higham (born Imelda Mary Clabby, 10 July 1974), professionally known as Imelda May, is an
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Known primarily as a singer, she also plays the
bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'' or ''bodhráns'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or oth ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
,
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
and tambourine. She is known for her musical style of rockabilly revival and has also been compared to female
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
musicians such as
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...
. Born and raised in
The Liberties The Liberties (Irish: ''Na Saoirsí'' or occasionally ''Na Libirtí'') is an area in central Dublin, Ireland, located in the southwest of the inner city. Formed from various areas of special manorial jurisdiction, separate from the main city g ...
area of
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 c ...
, May began her career in music at 16 by performing with a number of local bands and musicians. She formed her own band in 2002, and released her debut studio album, '' No Turning Back''. After the release, May relocated to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
with her then-husband, guitarist
Darrel Higham Darrel Higham (born 5 January 1970) is an English rockabilly guitarist who performs with Kat Men. He was previously married to Imelda May and performed in her band. Biography Music career Higham started playing lead guitar with British rockab ...
. Following an appearance on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
music programme '' Later... with Jools Holland'' in 2008, she released her second studio album, ''
Love Tattoo ''Love Tattoo'' is the second studio album by the Irish rockabilly musician Imelda May, released on 20 October 2008 on Universal Music. Track listing Personnel All personnel credits adapted from ''Love Tattoo''s liner notes. ;Performers ...
'' (2009). She collaborated and toured with a number of artists following its release. Her third studio album, '' Mayhem'', was released in 2010 and earned her a nomination for the Choice Music Prize. Her fourth studio album, ''
Tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
'', came out in 2014, and her fifth, ''
Life Love Flesh Blood ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' is the fifth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May. It was first released in the Republic of Ireland on 7 April 2017, through label Decca Records, followed by a worldwide release two weeks later on 21 Ap ...
'', in 2017. ''
11 Past the Hour ''11 Past the Hour'' is the sixth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May. The album was released on 16 April 2021 by Decca Records. It is May's first album release in four years, following her previous album ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' ...
'', her sixth album, was released on 16 April 2021.


Early life and career

May was born in Dublin on 10 July 1974 in
The Liberties The Liberties (Irish: ''Na Saoirsí'' or occasionally ''Na Libirtí'') is an area in central Dublin, Ireland, located in the southwest of the inner city. Formed from various areas of special manorial jurisdiction, separate from the main city g ...
in the south inner city. She is the youngest of five siblings, with sisters Edel Foy and Maria O'Reilly and brothers Brendan Clabby and Fintan Clabby. In 1991, she attended Senior College Ballyfermot, where she studied art, graphics and printmaking. Her career began at age 16 when she began touring the Dublin club circuit and she was occasionally barred from her own shows at Dublin's Bruxelles club for being under-aged. She moved to
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
in 1998 and shortly after toured with
Mike Sanchez Jesus Miguel "Mike" Sanchez (born 17 February 1964) is a British rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The ter ...
.


Professional career

In 2003, May released '' No Turning Back''. In 2007 she signed a recording contract with Ambassador Records, and recorded her second album, ''
Love Tattoo ''Love Tattoo'' is the second studio album by the Irish rockabilly musician Imelda May, released on 20 October 2008 on Universal Music. Track listing Personnel All personnel credits adapted from ''Love Tattoo''s liner notes. ;Performers ...
'', which reached No.1 in Ireland and received wide critical acclaim. She caught the attention of Jools Holland, whom she later supported on tour, which led him to request she appear on his music show '' Later... with Jools Holland''. She won Female Artist of the Year at the
2009 Meteor Awards The 2009 Meteor Music Awards ceremony took place on 17 March 2009 in the RDS, Dublin. It was the ninth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was recorded and it aired on RTÉ Two on 18 March 2009. The awards show was hosted by tel ...
. On 31 January 2010, she performed at the
52nd Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares P ...
with Jeff Beck in tribute to Les Paul and
Mary Ford Mary Ford (born Iris Colleen Summers; July 7, 1924 – September 30, 1977) was an American vocalist and guitarist, comprising half of the husband-and-wife musical team Les Paul and Mary Ford. Between 1950 and 1954, the couple had 16 top-ten hit ...
. She released her third studio album, '' Mayhem'', in Ireland on 3 September 2010, again reaching No. 1 in the Irish Album Charts, and in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2010. May soon after appeared on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
'', '' Conan'' and ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, 2 ...
''. In 2016, May performed at RTÉ's Centenary Concert to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. In the UK May appeared on ''
Never Mind the Buzzcocks ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hos ...
'' with the late
Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 week ...
and ''
Graham Norton Show ''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton ...
'' and sang live on '' Strictly Come Dancing''. May worked with BIMM music college in Dublin to provide a scholarship (which they named after her) for up-and-coming artists. May's fifth album, ''
Life Love Flesh Blood ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' is the fifth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May. It was first released in the Republic of Ireland on 7 April 2017, through label Decca Records, followed by a worldwide release two weeks later on 21 Ap ...
'', was released on 7 April 2017. She collaborated with American musician
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 ...
on the record, who produced the album. Throughout the creative process, May received guidance from U2 vocalist Bono. ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' won critical acclaim and reached no. 4 in the UK charts. On 18 May 2017 May performed ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' at a special concert in the prestigious
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...
. In Ireland, she also had her own music TV show, '' The Imelda May Show'', showcasing the best of Irish and international talent. May performed the Irish national anthem on 26 August 2017 at the
T-Mobile Arena T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz En ...
in Las Vegas, Nevada, prior to the
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor, billed as ''The Money Fight'' and ''The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History'', was a professional boxing match between undefeated eleven-time five-division boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. ...
fight. In June 2020, she released the original composition ''You Don’t Get To Be Racist And Irish'' which was used by the Irish government for the nationwide billboard campaign Rethink Ireland. In 2020 she also published a new album, ''
Slip of the Tongue ''Slip of the Tongue'' is the eighth studio album by the British band Whitesnake, released in 1989. The album peaked at number 10 on both the UK Album Chart and US ''Billboard'' 200. Three singles were released from the album: " Fool for Your ...
'', whose style shifts from rock to
spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
. Her second solo album apart from her former husband, ''
11 Past the Hour ''11 Past the Hour'' is the sixth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May. The album was released on 16 April 2021 by Decca Records. It is May's first album release in four years, following her previous album ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' ...
'' was released on 16 April 2021 on the
Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
label. Also in 2021, May contributed a cover of the Metallica song " The God That Failed" to the charity tribute album ''
The Metallica Blacklist ''The Metallica Blacklist'' is a various artists tribute album featuring covers of every track from Metallica's 1991 self-titled album (commonly known as ''The Black Album''). The collection was assembled in conjunction with the original album' ...
''.


Performances with other artists

May has recorded and performed with a variety of artists. She has worked with producers
Mike Crossey Mike Crossey (born 1979) is a Northern Irish record producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer. He produced the debut single by Arctic Monkeys, collaborating with them over two albums. He is known for his ongoing relationship with The 1975 in a ...
,
Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
,
Peter Asher Peter Asher, (born 22 June 1944) is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the pop music vocal duo Peter and Gordon before going on to a successful career as a manager and r ...
and
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 ...
. She performed at a tribute concert for Bill Wyman's 80th birthday, a live recorded concert for
Jacques Dutronc Jacques Dutronc (born 28 April 1943) is a French singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, and actor. He married singer Françoise Hardy on 30 March 1981 and together they have a son (manouche jazz) guitarist Thomas Dutronc, born 1973); they sepa ...
, and a live recorded concert with and for Tony Biscontu for
Sky Arts Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...
. In 2010 she (and others) performed with Jeff Beck to honour the late guitarist Les Paul at
Iridium Jazz Club The Iridium is a music club located on Broadway in New York City. The club featured weekly performances by Les Paul for nearly fifteen years. History The club opened in January 1994 at its original location, at 63rd Street and Broadway in th ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, where the session was recorded for DVD and HBO and subsequently toured the US with Jeff Beck for five weeks. In December 2011 she sold out two nights at O2 Dublin, with Bono making a surprise appearance as her guest. May was the surprise guest in Dublin for U2's homecoming show on the band's 2015 Innocence + Experience tour: Bono called her "the other queen of Ireland" as she came on stage to perform "Desire", streamed live online to millions of viewers. In 2020, May was part of an Irish collective of female singers and musicians called Irish Women in Harmony that recorded a version of "
Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
" in aid of the charity SafeIreland, which deals with
domestic abuse Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partne ...
, which had reportedly risen significantly during the
COVID-19 lockdown Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...
. In 2021, she dueted with
Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...
and
Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a ...
of
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
in the single "Just One Kiss" from the album ''
11 Past the Hour ''11 Past the Hour'' is the sixth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May. The album was released on 16 April 2021 by Decca Records. It is May's first album release in four years, following her previous album ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' ...
'', and, together with
The Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...
and the Joanna Eden Band, she joined the line-up for
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 ...
's outdoor show at Audley End House and Gardens expected for 14 August 2021 in
Saffron Walden Saffron Walden is a market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and north of London. It retains a rural appearance and some buildings of the medieval period. The population was 15, ...
.


Night for Ukraine benefit

May performed at Night for Ukraine, a fundraising benefit held at the Roundhouse in north
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on the evening of March 9, 2022, with the funds raised being donated to the
Disasters Emergency Committee The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is an umbrella group of UK charities which coordinates and launches collective appeals to raise funds to provide emergency aid and rapid relief to people caught up in disasters and humanitarian crises aroun ...
appeal, to provide aid to people fleeing
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
following the Russian invasion. The event was organized by Fabien Riggall in collaboration with the Ukrainian pop duo Bloom Twins.


Acting

May made her acting debut in the 2022 film '' Fisherman's Friends: One and All''.


Personal life

May married her guitarist and band member,
Darrel Higham Darrel Higham (born 5 January 1970) is an English rockabilly guitarist who performs with Kat Men. He was previously married to Imelda May and performed in her band. Biography Music career Higham started playing lead guitar with British rockab ...
, in 2002. She gave birth to a daughter in August 2012. On 17 July 2015, May announced the couple's decision to separate after 13 years of marriage.


Discography

* '' No Turning Back'' (2003) * ''
Love Tattoo ''Love Tattoo'' is the second studio album by the Irish rockabilly musician Imelda May, released on 20 October 2008 on Universal Music. Track listing Personnel All personnel credits adapted from ''Love Tattoo''s liner notes. ;Performers ...
'' (2008) * '' Mayhem'' (2010) * ''
Tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
'' (2014) * ''
Life Love Flesh Blood ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' is the fifth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May. It was first released in the Republic of Ireland on 7 April 2017, through label Decca Records, followed by a worldwide release two weeks later on 21 Ap ...
'' (2017) * ''
11 Past the Hour ''11 Past the Hour'' is the sixth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May. The album was released on 16 April 2021 by Decca Records. It is May's first album release in four years, following her previous album ''Life Love Flesh Blood'' ...
'' (2021)


Awards and nominations


References


External links


Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:May, Imelda 1974 births Living people 21st-century Irish singers Singers from Dublin (city) Irish rockabilly musicians Irish television presenters Irish expatriates in England Decca Records artists 21st-century Irish women singers Irish women television presenters People from The Liberties, Dublin