Last year the acclaimed Irish Singer and Songwriter John Spillane celebrated 35 years of an ever-consistent vastly illuminating and exciting career within the world of music. Having sold over 100,000 albums in Ireland, John has also been awarded with two Meteor Irish Music Awards for ‘Best Act Folk’ and ‘Traditional’ act. His songs have been covered by many Irish folk lumineer’s such as Christy Moore, Sean Keane, Karan Casey, Pauline Scanlon, Solas, Mary Black, Méav, Sinéad Lohan and Sharon Shannon.
THE 33 YEARS! Run down by John Spillane
“I got a full-time permanent and pensionable job on my 18th birthday as a bank official in the Bank of Ireland. Two years later I left that job to become a full-time professional musician. My mother nearly killed me. I have played with many bands and musical outfits and served a number of musical apprenticeships. As well as solo work, groups I have played with include;
- SABRE 1978-1982
- NOEL SHINE AND JOHN SPILLANE 1982-1984
- JIMMY CROWLEY1983-1985
- THE STARGAZERS 1984 – 1992
- NOMOS 1992-1997
- JOHN SPILLANE AND DECLAN SINNOTT 1995- 2000
- THE GAELIC HIT FACTORY 2006
- A STÓR MO CHROÍ 2012-2017
I have also on occasion played with many outstanding musicians like JIMMY MCCARTHY, BAABA MAAL, CHRISTY MOORE, GER WOLFE, SINEAD LOHAN, PAULINE SCANLON, MICK FLANNERY.
I have had a fantastic musical journey. Some of the high points include teaming up with my manager Lorcan Ennis in 2000, signing to EMI Records 1n 2001, and the release of my albums;
- THE WELLS OF THE WORLD – 1997
- WILL WE BE BRILLIANT OR WHAT? – 2002
- HEY DREAMER – 2005
- THE GAELIC HIT FACTORY – 2006
- MY DARK ROSALEEN AND THE ISLAND OF DREAMS – 2008
- IRISH SONGS WE LEARNED AT SCHOOL – 2008
- SO FAR SO GOOD LIKE – THE BEST OF JOHN SPILLANE – 2009
- MORE IRISH SONGS WE LEARNED AT SCHOOL – 2009
- A ROCK TO CLING TO – 2011
- LIFE IN AN IRISH TOWN – 2013
- THE MAN WHO CAME IN FROM THE DARK – 2015
- IRISH SONGS WE LEARNED AT SCHOOL. ÁR AIS ARÍS – 2016
I have sung and played music in Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Austria, Poland, Holland, Switzerland, U.S.A., Canada, Bermuda, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Zambia, Senegal, China and Japan.
