by Eric FitzGerald
LEGENDARY Irish singer Red Hurley is just stepping out of a rehearsal studio in Spain with his session band when Limerick Post catches up with him. Basking in magnificent weather, the form couldn’t be better, Red tells me that he has enough new music recorded for two albums, another tour of big dates in the US and before all that he is coming back to Limerick this week.
Red is celebrating 45 years in show business. His career has seen him top the charts in Ireland’s music scene in the 1970s and ’80s. He has performed with some of Ireland’s top showbands and in 1976 Hurley represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song ‘When’, composed by Brendan Graham.
In the last ten years he has been enjoying renewed success in the UK and USA with his musical forays into inspirational gospel recordings, with luminaries such as Terry Wogan and Oprah Winfrey among the admirers.
“I’ve been singing gospel all my life, the new dimension is I’m now singing traditional black American songs that date back to the time of slavery in the US.” Songs like ‘Motherless Child and ‘Steal Away To Jesus’ were brought to him by his friend Dr. Maya Angelou, a US Poet Laureate.
Red Hurley’s voice and ability to interpret a song are his trump cards. Nightly he will deliver knockout performances of his many chart hits and showcase how his voice can breathe new life into classic pop songs.
Particular highlights of recent tours were beautiful and moving performances of gospel classics ‘Deep River’ and ‘Amazing Grace’. He often closes the show with the ‘Danny Boy Trilogy’: a fusion of the familiar ‘Derry Air’ with the American ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ which assures depth of emotion and pathos.
Red simply sums up what he does by telling Limerick Post, “I love what I do, I actually love what I do and that presents the opportunities.“
This weekend’s show will feature The Limerick Gospel Choir.
Expect to hear a lot of music from Red’s show ‘How Great Thou Art’ such as ‘In The Living Years’, ‘I Still haven’t Found what I am Looking For’ and ‘Something Inside so Strong’.
With backing by The Eugene McCarthy Big Band, Red will bring out his 1970s’ classics as well for the show.
“I’m really looking forward to it, Lime Tree is a lovely theatre, a good shape to it and a good sound in it.”
Red’s last gig here was a fundraiser for local charity Clare’s Wish and although this Friday’s is his own show there will be a contribution made to Clare’s Wish from the proceeds. Red is one of the charity’s patrons.
After 45 years in showbusiness, he is busier today than ever. He has written four songs with Limerick songwriter Don Mescall and is looking forward to recording his concert in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York which will be filmed and shown by PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) nationwide in the US.
“When stuff like that comes up, it is always very exciting to get a project to get your teeth into.”
Red Hurley and his band will play Lime Tree Theatre this Friday 12.
