Carmel Quinn (31 July 1925 – 6 March 2021) was an

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

entertainer who appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

, television and radio after immigrating to the United States in 1954.

Biography

Quinn was born in July 1925 and educated in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. Her father was a violinist and the family was musically inclined. She began her career in Dublin singing with local bands, the most prominent of which was the Johnny Devlin Orchestra in the Crystal Ballroom, although her singing had been recorded as early as 1942 when she was a teenager. She also sang at Dublin's Theatre Royal with the house orchestra and Jimmy Campbell. She was noted for one of her first songs, "

The Isle of Innisfree The "Isle of Innisfree" is a song composed by Dick Farrelly (Irish songwriter, policeman and poet, born Richard Farrelly), who wrote both the music and lyrics. Farrelly got the inspiration for "Isle of Innisfree", the song for which he is best ...

". After coming to the United States in 1954, she appeared on the ''

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts ''Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts'' (also known as ''Talent Scouts'') is an American radio and television variety show that ran on CBS from 1946 until 1958. Sponsored by Lipton Tea, it starred Arthur Godfrey, who was also hosting '' Arthur God ...

'' radio program in 1955 and won the contest. Her voice and performing style was compared to that of

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

and other popular singers. She became a regular on the show, appearing daily, singing and telling funny anecdotes about her life. She went on to appear on the television version of ''

Arthur Godfrey and His Friends ''Arthur Godfrey and His Friends'' is an American television variety show hosted by Arthur Godfrey. The hour-long series aired on CBS Television from January 12, 1949, to June 1957 (as ''The Arthur Godfrey Show'' after September 1956), then agai ...

''. Unlike many of the so-called "Little Godfreys", whom Godfrey capriciously dismissed from his shows and left with bitter feelings, Quinn remained a frequent guest throughout Godfrey's television career and appeared on the CBS radio version of ''Arthur Godfrey Time'', which he hosted until 1972. She continued to be a favourite with audiences and made guest appearances on ''

The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom ''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 ...

'' (three times between 1957 and 1960), ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'', ''

The Joe Franklin Show Joe Franklin (March 9, 1926 – January 24, 2015), born Joseph Fortgang, was an American radio and television host personality, author and actor from New York City. Franklin is noted for having the first talk show and inventing the format. His te ...

'', ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity paneli ...

'', ''

Candid Camera ''Candid Camera'' is an American hidden camera and practical joke reality television series. The show was created, developed, and presented by Allen Funt. Various versions of the show have appeared on television from 1948 to 2014. The program ...

'', and other variety and talk shows. She went on to appear in numerous musical roadshows, and starred in ''

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

'', ''

Finian's Rainbow ''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...

'' and ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

''. She performed for presidents

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

and

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

. Her annual

Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...

Concerts at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

sold out for more than two decades. She appeared in numerous television commercials and recorded many successful albums. She received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination for her children's recording of "Patrick Muldoon and his Magic Balloon". One of her biggest hits was " The Whistling Gypsy Rover". She continued to record, and many of her early recordings have been reissued on CD. In 1991, she was the second woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Award for excellence in her field. She also continued to perform her cabaret show throughout the United States as well as maintaining a commitment to numerous American and Irish charities. Quinn was a longtime resident of

Leonia, New Jersey Leonia is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,304, an increase of 367 (+4.1%) from the 2010 United Sta ...

, acquiring her first home there, after coming to the United States.

Personal life and death

Quinn was married to Irish businessman and impresario William "Bill" Fuller (1917–2008); the marriage eventually ended in divorce. Quinn never remarried. The couple had four children, Michael, Jane, Terry and Sean. Michael predeceased his parents, dying from an undiagnosed cardiac ailment in 1988, aged 31.Re death of son, Michael Fuller
''People''. Retrieved 4 August 2015. She died of pneumonia at her home in Leonia, on 6 March 2021, at the age of 95.

Discography

''Patrick Muldoon and His Magic Balloon'' (1965)
amazon.com. Retrieved 11 December 2014.

regorecords.com. Retrieved 11 December 2014.

References

External links

*
''Playbill:'' Jack Arthur Presents Canadiana '64 Around The World In An Evening with Jack Carter and Carmel Quinn
Canadian National Exhibition Toronto (1 January 1964; paperback); ASIN: B0026Y7NUS
''Wait 'til I Tell You''
(paperback), 1 November 2007;
"Carmel Quinn Sings Her Favorite Irish Songs" (paperback)
Box & Cox Publications, Inc.: New York (1942); ASIN: B000JF0TVG {{DEFAULTSORT:Quinn, Carmel 1925 births 2021 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States Irish women singers Irish musical theatre actresses Irish radio actresses Irish television actresses Irish writers Musicians from Dublin (city) Deaths from pneumonia in New Jersey Actors from Leonia, New Jersey Actresses from County Dublin Actresses from New Jersey