Ronnie Kavanagh (21 June 1950 – 4 May 2024), known by his stage name Ron Kavana, was an Irish singer, songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, and band leader. Born in the

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

town of

Fermoy Fermoy () is a town on the Munster Blackwater, River Blackwater in east County Cork, Ireland. As of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, the town and environs had a population of approximately 6,700 people. It is located in the barony (Ir ...

, he was the son of an Irish father and an American mother from Chicago with

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...

roots. Performing with a lengthy list of bands, Kavana performed with influential musicians from the worlds of

Celtic music Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celts (modern), Celtic people of Northwestern Europe (the modern Celtic nations). It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and ...

British soul British soul, Brit soul, or (in a US context) the British soul invasion, is soul music performed by British artists. Soul has been a major influence on British popular music since the 1960s, and American soul was extremely popular among some yo ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

rhythm & blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

, rock, Irish folk and folk-rock, and

worldbeat Worldbeat is a music genre that blends pop music or rock music with world music or traditional music. Worldbeat is similar to other cross-pollination labels of contemporary and roots genres, and which suggest a rhythmic, harmonic or textural co ...

music. His ''Galway to Graceland'' album was described as an album of blues, Tex Mex, country, rock, cajun, and occasionally Irish influenced music. A talented songwriter, Kavana has written songs exploring history and politics, as well as drinking, dancing, and playing music. ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' has called him a "hard-hitting, no-nonsense realist".

Biography

Early career

Kavana (credited as "Kavanagh") joined the

folk/rock band Loudest Whisper in the early 1970s. Band member Brian O'Reilly wrote a celtic musical based on the Irish myth of ''The Children Of

Lir Lir or Ler (meaning "Sea" in Old Irish; ''Ler'' and ''Lir'' are the nominative and genitive forms, respectively) is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is na ...

'' in 1972, which was developed into a stage production the following year with Kavana in the role of Lir. The project was adapted into the group's first record, ''Children Of

'', in 1974, which was to be Kavana's final contribution to the band, playing slide guitar and also singing "Lir's Lament". In the late 1970s, he moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, getting a job at Rock on Records, replacing

Philip Chevron Philip Ryan (17 June 1957 – 8 October 2013), professionally known as Philip Chevron, was an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist and record producer. He was best known as the lead guitarist for the celtic punk band the Pogues and as the fro ...

, who was leaving to work full-time with his band, The Radiators From Space. In 1977, Kavana put together Kavana's Krisis Band, playing regularly at

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

's Hope & Anchor. This band evolved into Juice on the Loose, who became something of a house band for Ace Records, with Kavana as band leader and producer. During this era, Kavana and members of the band toured and recorded with many American acts, including

Big Jay McNeely Cecil James "Big Jay" McNeely (April 29, 1927 – September 16, 2018) was an American R&B saxophonist. Biography Inspired by Illinois Jacquet and Lester Young, McNeely teamed with his older brother Robert McNeely, who played baritone saxophon ...

, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Willie Egan, Dr. John,

Doug Sahm Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from San Antonio, Texas. He is regarded as a key Tejano music, Tex-Mex music and Music of Texas, Texan Music pe ...

, Augie Meyers and Flaco Jiminez, Wallace Davenport, Gatemouth Brown,

Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

Champion Jack Dupree William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer. Biography Dupree was a New Orle ...

, and

Slim Gaillard Bulee "Slim" Gaillard (January 9, 1911 – February 26, 1991), also known as McVouty, was an American jazz singer and songwriter who played piano, guitar, vibraphone, and tenor saxophone. Gaillard was noted for his comedic vocalese singing ...

.All Music Guide entry; also Ron Kavana, interview printed in liner notes of Kavana's 1999 live album ''Alien Alert'', published by Proper Records. Kavana appears on Juice on the Loose's self-titled album, released on Line Records in 1981. Other Juice on the Loose recordings would surface on Kavana's first solo album, '' Rollin' & Coastin'''. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Kavana also played with Panama Red, The Thunderbirds, The Balham Alligators, and The Alexis Korner Band. Following a European R & B package tour backing Korner, Kavana played an anniversary show for the Boogie Woogie Band's anniversary at

Dingwalls Dingwalls Dancehall (original name at time of opening) is a live music and comedy venue adjacent to Camden Lock, Camden in London. The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings which were put to new use in the 20th centur ...

, with an all-star band that included

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...

on drums and

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of Rock music, rock band Cream (band), Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a ...

on bass.

Solo career

Kavana released his first solo album, '' Rollin' & Coastin''' in 1985, on the Italian record label, Appaloosa. The album was a compilation of solo tracks and Juice on The Loose recordings. In the mid/late 1980s, Kavana opened several tours for

The Pogues The Pogues are an English Celtic punk band founded in King's Cross, London, in 1982, by Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer. Originally named Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish phrase :wikt:póg mo thóin, ''p� ...

, including a December/January 1985/1986 jaunt through Ireland, where he performed as a duo with

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

.''Pogue Mahone Kiss My Arse: The Story of the Pogues'', by Carol Clerk, published 2009 Pogues management considered Kavana as a replacement for departing bass player/singer

Cait O'Riordan Caitlín O'Riordan (born 4 January 1965) is a British musician. She played bass guitar for the Pogues from 1983 to 1986. She later played with Elvis Costello as well as Bush Tetras and several other projects. She uses the name Rocky O'Riordan ...

. The band chose road crew member

Darryl Hunt Darryl Hunt (February 24, 1965 – March 13, 2016) was an African-American man from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who, in 1984, was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and the murder of Deborah Sykes, a young wh ...

for the job, but Kavana made several appearances on The Pogues' album ''

If I Should Fall From Grace With God ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' is the third studio album by Celtic folk-punk band the Pogues, released on 18 January 1988. Released in the wake of their biggest hit single, "Fairytale of New York", ''If I Should Fall from Grace with G ...

'', and co-wrote two songs with Pogue

Terry Woods Terence Woods (born 4 December 1947) is an Irish folk musician, songwriter/singer and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his membership in such folk and folk- rock groups as the Pogues, Steeleye Span, Sweeney's Men, the Bucks, Dr. St ...

: "Every Man Is A King (In The U.S. of A.)" and "Young Ned of the Hill", the former released originally as a B-side and the latter included on The Pogues album, '' Peace and Love''. In 1990, Kavana produced the album ''

For The Children ''For the Children'' was the umbrella title given to British television programmes and sequences targeted at children of school age, in the early years of the BBC One, BBC Television Service. The title was first used in 1937 at 3pm as the openin ...

''. Featuring 29 guests (including several members of

), the album was a fundraiser for LILT (London Irish Live Trust), a charity organisation working for peace in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. By the late 1980s, Kavana had formed the eclectic group Alias Ron Kavana. The group was subsequently named "Best Live Act in the World" by '' Folk Roots'' magazine in 1989, 1990, and 1991. The Alias Band's first album, '' Think Like a Hero'', was released in 1989. Alias Ron Kavana's second album, '' Coming Days'', followed in 1991.

joined forces with Ron Kavana and recorded the album '' Home Fire'', released as Kavana's second solo effort in 1991. The two appear together in the 1990

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...

film, ''Hidden Agenda'', performing the

Wolfe Tones The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning of ...

' song "The Ballad Of Joe McDonnell". After quitting The Pogues, Woods joined with Kavana and formed a new band, The Bucks. This line-up recorded the album '' Dancing to the ceili band'', released in 1994 on WEA. The album and the band's live shows were well received by fans and critics, but the group disbanded after a short time. Kavana cited lack of label support as a reason, and claimed he "never got a penny" for the album.Ron Kavana, interview printed in liner notes of Kavana's 1999 live album ''Alien Alert'', published by Proper Records. Returning to the Alias Band, Kavana recorded ''Galway to Graceland'' (ARK 002) in 1995. The album was self-financed and produced independently. Due to financial difficulties it was deleted before getting a full release. Kavana again entered Pogues territory, this time playing guitar in an early version of

Shane MacGowan Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (25 December 195730 November 2023) was a British-born Irish singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He won acclaim for his lyrics, whic ...

's band The Popes. Kavana's guitar work can be heard on "Haunted", a duet featuring Sinéad O'Connor. He also came up with the tune for "Snake With Eyes of Garnet" from MacGowan's first solo album, '' The Snake'', although he received no credit for this work.

Academia and later life

In 1995, frustrated by problems with record labels and the music business generally, and finding himself financially under pressure, Kavana took a three-year break from the industry, enrolling in a full-time

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

course, graduating with first-class honours in Irish studies and film studies. Working on and off for several years, Kavana released a two-disc set ''Irish Songs of Rebellion, Resistance and Reconciliation'' in 2006. This was followed by the 2007 four disc set ''Irish Ways: Story of Ireland in Song, Music & Poetry''. The albums followed Irish history through songs and poems from 1796 to the present day. The albums are credited to The Alias Acoustic Band. Kavana died on 4 May 2024, at the age of 73.

Discography

Albums

* ''Juice on the Loose'' (1981) (Juice On The Loose),

Chiswick Records Chiswick Records was a British independent record label. Established in 1975, Chiswick was the "first true ' indie' label to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era". It rel ...

* ''Rollin' & Coastin'' (1985), (Ron Kavana) Appaloosa Records * '' Think Like a Hero'' (1989) (Alias Ron Kavana), Chiswick Records * ''For the Children'' (1990) (LILT – The London Irish Live Trust), Alias Records * '' Coming Days'' (1991) (Alias Ron Kavana), Chiswick Records * '' Home Fire'' (1991) (Ron Kavana), Special Delivery/

Topic Records Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.M. Brocken ...

Green Linnet Records Green Linnet Records was an American independent record label that specialized in Celtic music. Founded by Lisa Null and Patrick Sky as Innisfree Records in 1973, the label was initially based in Null's house in New Canaan, Connecticut. In 1975 t ...

(1992) * '' Dancin' To The Ceili Band'' (1994) ( The Bucks),

WEA The Wea were a Miami–Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as being either closely related to the Miami tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of th ...

* ''Galway to Graceland'' (1995) (Alias Ron Kavana), Alias Recordings * ''Alien Alert (live)'' (1999) (Ron Kavana with The Resident Aliens),

Proper Records Proper Records is an English record label founded by Proper Music Group Chairman – Malcolm Mills and Paul Riley. Commencing with a handful of releases, including the Balham Alligators and Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, the label grew ...

* ''Irish Songs of Rebellion, Resistance and Reconciliation'' (2006) (Ron Kavana and the Alias Acoustic Band), Primo Records * ''Irish Ways: Story of Ireland in Song, Music & Poetry'' (2007) (Ron Kavana) Proper Records * ''40 Favourite Folk Songs'' (2011) (Ron Kavana and Friends), Primo Records * ''Forgotten People'' (2014) (Ron Kavana), Real Records * ''Respect'' (2016) (Ron Kavana), Real Records

Other releases

* "Any Way The Wind Blows" and "Fermoy" on ''Any Way The Wind Blows'' 7" Single (Juice On The Loose) (1980) The Songwriter's Workshop * "Sweet Love In The Valley", b-side on ''Cowboys And Indians'' 7" Single (Juice On The Loose) (1981) The Songwriter's Workshop * "A Living Wage" on ''Hard Cash'' (Various Artists) (1990) Green Linnet Records * " Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" on ''Get Weaving'' (Various Artists) (1992) Weaving Records * "Stand/Close It Down" (as Ron & Miriam Kavana) ''Undefeated - A Benefit For The Miners'' (Various Artists) (1992) Fuse Records * "Lovely Cottage-Gold Ochra At Killarny Point To Points" on ''Folk Heritage'' (Various Artists) (1992) Music Club International * "Lovely Cottage-Gold Ochra At Killarny Point To Points" on ''Folk Heritage II'' (Various Artists) (1992) Music Club International * "As I Roved Out" on ''Giving People Choices'' (Various Artists) (1993) ActionAid * "Reconciliation" on ''The Folk Collection'' (Various Artists) (1993) Topic Records * " I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" on ''The World Is a Wonderful Place: The Songs of Richard Thompson'' (Various Artists) (1993) Green Linnet Records * " Sloop John B." on ''Out on the Rolling Sea - A Tribute to Joseph Spence'' (Various Artists) (1994) Hokey Pokey Records * "The Kilshannig Wager" on ''The Folk Collection 2 '' (Various Artists) (1995) Topic Records * "Home Fire/Beyond The Pale" on ''Delicias Celtas'' (Various Artists) (1995) Ediciones Resistencia * "St. Patrick's Day In New Orleans" (as Alias Ron Kavana) on ''fRoots #6'' (Various Artists) (1996) Folk Roots * "Reconciliation", "Fermoy Regatta/Tom's Tavern" on ''A Living Thing: Contemporary Classics of Traditional Irish Music'' (Various Artists, Produced by Ron Kavana) Globe Style * "Pennies For Black Babies" (as Alias Ron Kavana) on ''Roots - 20 Years Of Essential Folk, Roots & World Music'' (Various Artists) (1999) Manteca * "Reconciliation" on ''

: Three Score & Ten: A Voice to the People'' (Various Artists) (1999) Topic Records

In film

Kavana has appeared in and/or composed music for the soundtracks of such films as ''

Sid and Nancy ''Sid and Nancy'' (also known as ''Sid and Nancy: Love Kills'') is a 1986 British biographical film directed by Alex Cox, co-written with Abbe Wool, and starring Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb. The film portrays the life of Sid Vicious, bassist of ...

'', ''

Ryan's Daughter ''Ryan's Daughter'' is a 1970 British epic romantic drama film directed by David Lean and written by Robert Bolt. Loosely inspired by Gustave Flaubert's 1857 novel ''Madame Bovary'', the film stars Robert Mitchum and Sarah Miles as a married ...

'', and ''

Hidden Agenda Hidden Agenda or Hidden Agendas may refer to: Video games * ''Hidden Agenda'' (1988 video game), a 1988 text-based game * ''Hidden Agenda'' (2017 video game), a thriller video game developed by Supermassive Games for the PlayStation 4 Film * ...

'' (1990).

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kavana, Ron 1950 births 2024 deaths Musicians from County Cork Musicians from London People from Fermoy Irish male singer-songwriters Irish male mandolinists Irish male guitarists Irish harmonica players Irish blues guitarists Proper Records artists Green Linnet Records artists 20th-century Irish guitarists 21st-century Irish guitarists 20th-century Irish singer-songwriters 21st-century Irish singer-songwriters 20th-century Irish male singers 21st-century Irish male singers 20th-century Irish mandolinists 21st-century Irish mandolinists