Biography
Christie Hennessy, an Irish singer and songwriter, grew up as one of eight siblings—five sisters and three brothers—in the bustling town of Tralee. Regular household jam sessions and his mother’s distinctive storytelling nurtured his innate songwriting talent from childhood. Traditional Irish material formed the core of home listening through his parents’ vocal-and-accordion duets. Henry Curtin, a former member of Frank Sinatra’s band, first taught him drums, and exposure to Curtin’s Robert Johnson recordings fostered a lasting affinity for jazz and blues. Like his father and siblings, he moved to England young in pursuit of work, spending days on assorted manual jobs in Liverpool while playing gigs at night. Years of writing, performing, and refining his material culminated in the 1992 release of his debut album, The Rehearsal, which outsold U2 in Ireland and earned double-platinum status. Strong national tours and further successful records followed. His tenure with Warner Music ran from A Year in the Life to Box, after which he joined the independent London label MVine for Stories for Sale. His involvement with the Irish charity Children in Crossfire led to the hit single “A Price for Love,” written after a trip to Kenya. MVine marked his four career platinum albums with the 2007 compilation The Platinum Collection. Christie Hennessy continues to write and perform regularly from his London base.
Albums
