Brady, Paul (1947– )

Irish rock singer/songwriter, from Londonderry, Northern Ireland. He first came to prominence as a traditional singer and accompanist of dance music in the folk revival of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was a member of one of the first bands of the Irish folk revival, the Johnstons, and later joined Planxty. During this period he made a number of notable recordings, culminating in his 1978 solo recording Welcome Here Kind Stranger and his 1979 album with Andy Irvine. His next recording, Hard Station (1981), marked a notable departure with self-penned songs and a rock style. Since then he has continued as a contemporary songwriter and performer later albums including Songs and Crazy Dreams (1992) and The Liberty Tapes (2002).

A good introduction to Paul Brady's music is Nobody Knows – The Best of Paul Brady (1999). Many of his songs have been covered by other artists such as Delores Keane and Tina Turner.