Website www.thehennessys.co.uk Genre Folk music | Years active 1967–present Record label Sain | |
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Past members Paul Powell, Aloma Jones, Tom Edwards Albums Y Caneuon Cynnar / The Early Songs, Who Will Cast a Stone? Songs for the Miners Strike 1972, Rhyddid Yn Ein Cân Similar Ar Log, Dafydd Iwan, Meic Stevens, Max Boyce, Catatonia | ||
The Hennessys are one of Wales' foremost traditional folk music groups.
Contents
History
In 1966 Frank Hennessy and Dave Burns (born David Burns, 4 November 1946, in Cardiff), both from Cardiff's Irish community, won a talent competition organised by Cardiff City Council which persuaded them to take up music professionally shortly afterwards, adding Paul Powell (born in 1946, in Cardiff – died 2007) on banjo and vocals. Having achieved success in the Cardiff area, they decided to spend some time travelling around Ireland, to acquire a wider musical experience. It was at this time that they were persuaded to develop a greater Welsh identity and they started to introduce traditional Welsh language songs into their repertoire, with great success, and their career took off.
They appeared regularly on television in Wales, appeared on stage throughout the country and recorded several albums. Many of their songs like "Farewell to the Rhondda" (about the decline of the mining industry in Wales and its social consequences), "Tiger Bay" (about emigration from Tiger Bay, the Dockland district of Cardiff) and the capital's anthem "Cardiff Born" have become folk standards. Other hits include "The Grangetown Whale" and "Billy the Seal".
The current line-up still includes Hennessy (on guitar) and Burns (on guitar and mandolin), who have now been joined by fiddle player Iolo Jones (born 12 February 1955, in Plymouth, Devon, England).
Frank Hennessy has been hosting his own radio programmes on BBC Radio Wales since 1984.
Frank Hennessy
Dave Burns
The Hennessys
Songs
Ar Lan Y Môr1993
Yr Hen Dderwen DduRhyddid Yn Ein Cân · 1973
Farewell to the RhonddaWho Will Cast a Stone? Songs for the Miners Strike 1972 · 1972