Bobby Clancy
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Robert Joseph 'Bobby' Clancy Jr (11 May 1927 – 6 September 2002) was an Irish singer and musician best known as a member of
The Clancy Brothers The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music group that developed initially as a part of the American folk music revival. Most popular during the 1960s, they were famed for their Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularisi ...
, one of the most successful and influential Irish folk groups. He accompanied his songs on five-string banjo, guitar,
bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'') 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 (material), goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or ot ...
, and harmonica.


Early years

Bobby Clancy was born in
Carrick-on-Suir Carrick-on-Suir () is a town in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The part on the north bank of the Suir lies in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of "Carrick", in the historical B ...
,
County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...
, Ireland to Robert J. Clancy and Johanna McGrath. He was the twin brother of Joan Clancy. Clancy left home in the late 1940s to join the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF) where he travelled all over Europe, including
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and
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
where he learned many folk songs. He later joined his older brothers
Paddy Clancy Patrick Michael Clancy (7 March 1922 – 11 November 1998), usually called Paddy Clancy or Pat Clancy, was an Irish folk singer best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. In addition to singing and storytelling, Clancy play ...
and
Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science, military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of ...
in New York City, where they worked as actors. The trio would sometimes sing, informally beginning the group later known as the Clancy Brothers. In 1955 Bobby returned to Ireland to settle down and run his father's insurance business. While his youngest brother
Liam Clancy Liam Clancy (; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's first pop stars. They achi ...
took his place in America and officially formed the
Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music group that developed initially as a part of the American folk music revival. Most popular during the 1960s, they were famed for their Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularising ...
with Paddy, Tom Clancy and friend
Tommy Makem Thomas Makem (4 November 1932 – 1 August 2007) was an Irish folk music, folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, tin whistle, l ...
, Bobby forged his own solo career, as well as performing the other half of two duos with sister Peg Clancy and an American folk singer named Sharon Collen. Bobby and sister
Peg Clancy PEG or peg may refer to: Devices * Clothes peg, a fastener used to hang up clothes for drying * Tent peg, a spike driven into the ground for holding a tent to the ground * Tuning peg, used to hold a string in the pegbox of a stringed instrumen ...
(also known as Peg Power) recorded two albums together, "Songs From Ireland' in 1962 and '' As We Roved Out'' in 1964 and toured as a duo, appearing on several Irish television programs in the 1960s, such as '' As Zosimus Said''. The other duo, Bobby Clancy and Sharon Collen, appeared on Irish television's Ballad Session in 1965. According to several newspaper articles on
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they performed some shows in the United States. As a solo, Bobby brought his show to the small screen with his own TV series on Irish television, ''When Bobby Clancy Sings''. He married Moira Mooney, a school teacher in the mid-1960s. Together they had four children; three daughters, Aoife in 1966, Roisin in 1967, and Aideen in 1979, and one son, Finbarr in 1970.
Aoife Clancy Aoife ( , ) is an Irish and Gaelic feminine given name. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic ''aoibh'', which means "beauty" or "radiance". It has been compared to the Gaulish name ''Esvios'' (Latinized ''Esuvius'', feminine '' Esuvia''), ...
and
Finbarr Clancy Finbarr Clancy (born 5 March 1970) is an Irish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist. Early in his career he performed with The Clancy Brothers. He later became a member of the group The High Kings. Birth and family Finbarr Clancy was the on ...
followed in their father's footsteps and now tour as Irish folk Singers. In 2007, son Finbarr became a member of
The High Kings The High Kings is an Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk group formed in Dublin in 2008. The band consists of Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden (musician), Darren Holden, and Paul O'Brien. As of 2023, the group had released five studio ...
.


The Clancy Brothers

When Tommy Makem left in 1969, Bobby took his place and became a member of the Clancy Brothers for the first time. The four brothers, Paddy, Tom, Bobby and Liam released three studio albums, ''
Clancy Brothers Christmas Clancy is an Irish name coming from the Gaelic ''Mac Fhlannchaidh/Mac Fhlannchadha'', meaning "Son of the red/ruddy warrior" (Mac being for sons, ''Ní Fhlannchaidh/Ní Fhlannchadha'' would be for daughters), or as a hypocorism for Clarence. ...
'', ''
Flowers in the Valley Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants (angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, mod ...
'' and '' Welcome to Our House''. The first two albums were produced under
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
while the latter was released under
Audio Fidelity Records Audio Fidelity Records was a record company based in New York City, most active during the 1950s and 1960s. They are best known for having produced the first mass-produced American stereophonic long-playing record in November 1957 (although this ...
. Bobby's initial tenure with the Clancy Brothers was short-lived. According to fans who spoke with the group over the years, but unverified in the media, he and Liam got into an argument which resulted in Bobby quitting the group. Bobby resumed his solo work, releasing a solo album '' Good Times When Bobby Clancy Sings'' and appearing live on a compilation album from a 1974 German Folk Festival, both in 1974. Living in
Mattapoisett, Massachusetts Mattapoisett is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,508 at the 2020 census. Mattapoisett Center is located in the town. Mattapoisett is a part of the South Coast region of Massachusetts which encompass ...
in the early 1970s, Bobby made a surprise cameo on his brothers'
Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 105,643 at the 2020 United States census. Along with Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plymouth, it is one of the two county seats of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, ...
TV special in 1974 where he led the brothers and current fourth member
Louis Killen Louisa "Lou" Jo Killen (born Louis Killen; 10 January 1934 – 9 August 2013) was an English folk singer from Gateshead, Tyneside, who also played the English concertina. Killen formed one of Britain's first folk clubs in 1958 in Newcastle upo ...
on "Mountain Tay." In 1976, the Clancy Brothers disbanded for a few months.
Liam Clancy Liam Clancy (; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's first pop stars. They achi ...
and
Louis Killen Louisa "Lou" Jo Killen (born Louis Killen; 10 January 1934 – 9 August 2013) was an English folk singer from Gateshead, Tyneside, who also played the English concertina. Killen formed one of Britain's first folk clubs in 1958 in Newcastle upo ...
left the group and remaining brothers Paddy and Tom decided to go on a hiatus. In 1977 plans went into motion to regroup and Paddy and Tom asked Bobby to join. The three brothers recruited their nephew, singer-songwriter
Robbie O'Connell Robbie O'Connell (born 28 December 1950"Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F16S-H89 : 17 March 2020), BIRTHS entry for Robert M O'Connell; citing Waterford, Jan - Mar ...
. The quartet toured part-time, performing three-month-long tours each year in March, August and November only in the United States. They released two albums, both live, one in 1982 and the other in 1988, '' Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell Live!'' and '' Tunes and Tales of Ireland'' respectively. During the remaining part of the year, Bobby continued running the insurance business in Carrick-on-Suir and continued performing solo in Ireland. Youngest brother Liam Clancy rejoined Bobby, Paddy and Robbie in 1990 when brother Tom was diagnosed and later succumbed to stomach cancer in November 1990. The Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell, now Paddy, Bobby and Liam performed more frequently than they had in the 1970s and 1980s, appearing on numerous TV shows in America and Ireland, notably ''
Live with Regis and Kathie Lee ''Live with Kelly and Mark'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts sinc ...
'' in 1991, 1993 and 1995,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's ''
The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration ''The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration'' is a live double-album release in recognition of Bob Dylan's 30 years as a recording artist. Recorded on October 16, 1992, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, it captures most of the concert, ...
'' in 1992, and RTÉ's ''
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'' in 1994. The quartet released the group's first studio album in over 20 years, ''
Older But No Wiser ''Older But No Wiser'' is a 1995 album by the Irish folk group, The Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell. This was the Clancy Brothers' final album, released almost four decades after the group's first album, ''The Rising of the Moon''. It was ...
'', in late 1995, an album title coined by Bobby's wife Moira. Soon after the album's release,
Liam Clancy Liam Clancy (; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's first pop stars. They achi ...
and
Robbie O'Connell Robbie O'Connell (born 28 December 1950"Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F16S-H89 : 17 March 2020), BIRTHS entry for Robert M O'Connell; citing Waterford, Jan - Mar ...
left the group. Bobby and Paddy continued performing with Bobby's son
Finbarr Clancy Finbarr Clancy (born 5 March 1970) is an Irish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist. Early in his career he performed with The Clancy Brothers. He later became a member of the group The High Kings. Birth and family Finbarr Clancy was the on ...
and friend Eddie Dillon from Boston. This new line-up toured until November 1998 when Paddy died from lung cancer.


Later years and death

Now as a trio, the Clancys and Eddie Dillon recorded two live albums, '' Clancy Sing-a-Long Songs'' and '' Once in a Lifetime: An Evening of Fine Irish Music''. Bobby Clancy released an additional two solo albums, ''
The Quiet Land ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' and ''
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'', in 1999 and 2000 on the Ark Albums label, a recording studio and company in
Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzz ...
. In 1999 Bobby was diagnosed with
pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory ...
and by 2000 he was unable to perform on his feet. The trio had to do all their concerts sitting down. By March 2002, he was unable to perform and had to quit a scheduled tour. On 6 September 2002, Bobby Clancy died at the age of 75. He left behind a twin sister, siblings Peg and Liam, his wife, four children, and two grandchildren.


Solo discography/guest appearances

*1962 – ''So Early in the Morning'' –
Tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...
LP/Rykodisc CD *1963 – '' Peg & Bobby Clancy: Songs From Ireland'' – Tradition LP/Collectables CD *1964 – ''As We Roved Out'' – London Globe LP *1974 – ''Irish Folk Festival'' – Intercord LP/CD *1974 – ''Good Times When Bobby Clancy Sings'' – Talbot LP *1999 – ''The Quiet Land'' – ARK CD *1999 – ''Clancy Sing Along Songs'' – ARK CD *1999 – ''Cherish the Ladies: At Home'' – RCA Victor CD *2000 – ''Cherish the Ladies: The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone'' – Windham Hill CD *2000 – ''Make Me a Cup'' – ARK CD *2001 – ''Once in a Lifetime: An Evening of Fine Irish Music'' – ARK CD (out of print) *2002 – ''Aoife Clancy: Silvery Moon'' – Appleseed CD *Other appearances can be found on the Clancy Brothers Discography


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clancy, Bobby 1927 births 2002 deaths 20th-century Irish male singers Bodhrán players
Bobby Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People *Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (surname), a list of surnames * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwrit ...
Irish male banjoists 20th-century Irish folk singers 20th-century Irish guitarists Irish harmonica players Irish male guitarists Musicians from County Tipperary People from Carrick-on-Suir People from Mattapoisett, Massachusetts Tradition Records artists Irish twins Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis The Clancy Brothers members 20th-century Irish banjoists