Music through the generations

Often, families become synonymous with various things: it may be a sport, politics or even having artistic talent. The Blacks? Well, no one need even tell you what they’re renowned for.

Passed down through generations, the Blacks are steeped in musical tradition – and the most celebrated of this hugely talented clan is undoubtedly Mary Black. As one of Ireland’s most successful singers, she has enjoyed a long and lauded career, and is now in semi-retirement (apparently).

“I announced my semi-retirement last year, and I still seem to be as busy as ever,” exclaims Mary.

“We did our last tour in America in the summer, but it will calm down next year, I’d say, after the Irish tour, which we are starting in February and ending in April.”

Despite her “semi-retired” status, the singer released a new album last month, Mary Black Sings Jimmy MacCarthy, which features 11 tracks by songwriter Jimmy MacCarthy: six classics from Mary’s repertoire and four new recordings.

Jimmy Mac is back

“I think Jimmy Mac songs were – and still are – the most popular in my set. People are coming along, young girls in their early 20s particularly, who had been brought up with my music, through their parents probably.

“They would have drifted off into other stuff as teenagers, but are kind of coming back in groups, singing songs like Bright Blue Rose, No Frontiers and Katie at the top of their voices. It’s lovely to see – and it’s like new voices are singing my songs again.”

Family ties

Mary’s music has proven to be timeless and her talent endless, but she didn’t scrape it off the ground. Her father hailed from Rathlin Island off the north coast of Antrim, where his family were well-known musicians.

A true blue, Mary’s mother was a singer from the heart of Dublin city. And, it was on that eclectic mix of city and country that the Black family grew up.

In their home on Charlemont Street in Dublin, where Mary grew up, playing instruments and singing were a part, not only of their daily lives, but also their identity: “There was always a hoolie in our house on a Sunday afternoon,” explains Mary.

Sunday hoolies

“Every Sunday afternoon Daddy would invite a few pals, Mammy would make up sandwiches and soup, some of them might have a few bottles of Guinness and we would all be sitting around as part of that. Everyone would have their party piece. Daddy was a great MC: ‘Now we are going to have a song, a tune or a story from so and so ...’”

Rathlin summers

Although Dublin was the main stage for Mary’s childhood, the rural influence of Rathlin played a part too: “Every summer we would be up to Rathlin, going on the tractors, collecting the eggs and milking the cows.

“We were very blessed I felt, because nobody on our street in inner city Dublin would have even seen a cow. A lot of our friends on the street wouldn’t have had that place to go, so I felt very lucky to have that side of who we were and where we came from.”

Passing it on

Through the generations the Blacks’ musical madness has not only been passed on, but also strengthened. Of Mary’s three children, Conor, Danny and Róisín, Danny is frontman of rock band The Coronas and Róisín sings under the name Róisín O.

Naturally, all of Mary’s children were exposed to the music business and at different times were on tour with her, but both Danny and Róisín found their own paths into music, says Mary, who was never one for pressuring them, but offered encouragement at just the right times.

“I remember Danny particularly, lying on his belly with his two hands under his chin, just looking at the band. He was more interested in the band than me. He thought they were the coolest thing ever. It was Bill Shanley, my guitar player, who gave guitar lessons to Conor, Danny and Eoin Scott my nephew, Frances’ son.

Gentle persuasion

“The older fellas were better than Danny at the start, and he came to me at one stage and said: ‘I think I want to give up the guitar. I’m not as good as the others.’ He was only about 10 and they were 13 or 14. So I said: ‘Well, just give it until the end of the year and see how you get on.’

“That was the only time I kind of pushed him, I didn’t tell him he had to stay, because I hate the idea of pushing things on kids when they are really not interested. And that was it: he never looked back. He often thanks me for that. He wrote a song actually thanking me for it.”

Across three generations the Black family has exemplified all that is good about music and – whether selling out stadiums or Sunday sessions in the kitchen in Charlemount Street – they enjoyed what they did and, more importantly, did it together. CL