Biography
Davey Arthur, an Irish-born folksinger, built a career stretching across many decades both on his own and in tandem with The Fureys. He entered the world in Donegal, Ireland, yet passed the greater part of his youth in Scotland, where an early fascination with music prompted him to begin guitar lessons at the age of eight. After returning to Ireland he formed a lasting friendship, beginning at twelve, with the Furey family of Dublin; the siblings Eddie and Finbar had already been performing folk music professionally throughout England and Ireland since the 1960s.
A skilled guitarist who also handled mandolin and banjo, and an accomplished songwriter, Arthur first collaborated with the younger Furey brothers Paul and George during their separate work as the Buskers. The four brothers and Arthur performed together at the 1978 Cambridge Folk Festival, after which they decided to continue as the permanent unit Furey Brothers & Davey Arthur. Their popularity climbed sharply from 1979, producing a succession of international successes over the ensuing thirteen years that included “The Green Fields of France” and “When You Were Sweet Sixteen.” Although the group’s material often favored the pop-leaning side of folk, offering new readings of standards such as “The Twelfth of Never” and “Annie Song,” the quality of their singing and playing consistently set their recordings apart.
Arthur left the Fureys in 1992 to concentrate on solo work and thereafter released music that stayed closer to traditional sources while placing Celtic music in a contemporary setting that still honored its origins. He remains a widely admired figure on the Irish music scene, leading assorted ensembles of traditional players—sometimes presented as Davey Arthur & Co.—on albums and tours that continued into the twenty-first century. In 1999 he received induction into the Irish Music Hall of Fame alongside U2, Sinead O’Connor, and the Chieftains. In addition to his musical activities, Arthur has performed as a raconteur. He rejoined the Fureys in 2005 and has worked with them continuously since, while also promoting Irish and Celtic culture both at home and abroad. In 2009, concurrent with those commitments, he assembled the Davey Arthur Band, drawing together leading musicians from the Irish scene.
A skilled guitarist who also handled mandolin and banjo, and an accomplished songwriter, Arthur first collaborated with the younger Furey brothers Paul and George during their separate work as the Buskers. The four brothers and Arthur performed together at the 1978 Cambridge Folk Festival, after which they decided to continue as the permanent unit Furey Brothers & Davey Arthur. Their popularity climbed sharply from 1979, producing a succession of international successes over the ensuing thirteen years that included “The Green Fields of France” and “When You Were Sweet Sixteen.” Although the group’s material often favored the pop-leaning side of folk, offering new readings of standards such as “The Twelfth of Never” and “Annie Song,” the quality of their singing and playing consistently set their recordings apart.
Arthur left the Fureys in 1992 to concentrate on solo work and thereafter released music that stayed closer to traditional sources while placing Celtic music in a contemporary setting that still honored its origins. He remains a widely admired figure on the Irish music scene, leading assorted ensembles of traditional players—sometimes presented as Davey Arthur & Co.—on albums and tours that continued into the twenty-first century. In 1999 he received induction into the Irish Music Hall of Fame alongside U2, Sinead O’Connor, and the Chieftains. In addition to his musical activities, Arthur has performed as a raconteur. He rejoined the Fureys in 2005 and has worked with them continuously since, while also promoting Irish and Celtic culture both at home and abroad. In 2009, concurrent with those commitments, he assembled the Davey Arthur Band, drawing together leading musicians from the Irish scene.
Albums
