Maura O'Connell has long thrived amid contradictions. Although she served as lead vocalist for De Danann, she never performed in the style of a conventional Celtic singer. Though she made her home in Nashville, she is not American by birth. And while she worked alongside New Grass Revival, she never pursued a bluegrass career. Even so, her voice earned her wide recognition on both sides of the Atlantic.
Born and raised in County Clare, Ireland, she began singing when she was still very young. Time spent in the local folk-club circuit brought an invitation from the traditional group De Danann, and her contributions to the band yielded the album Star-Spangled Mollie, a project that already signaled her curiosity about music beyond Ireland. Soon afterward she started working with members of New Grass Revival, most notably Béla Fleck, who produced several of her recordings. In collaboration with Fleck and additional musicians she completed the album Just in Time, after which she chose to relocate permanently to Nashville, Tennessee.
From that base she issued Helpless Heart, Blue Is the Colour of Hope, and Real Life Story, each successive release edging closer to a polished pop sound. Stories appeared in 1995, followed two years later by Wandering Home. Entering the new century, she joined the Sugar Hill roster in late 2000 and prepared her seventh album. Departing from her longtime producer Jerry Douglas, she enlisted Ray Kennedy—known for his work with Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams—to helm Walls & Windows, released in 2001. Don’t I Know came out in 2004, and the a cappella collection Naked with Friends arrived in 2009.
