FEBRUARY 2009
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The Irish Rovers: Still Charming and Entertaining Audiences 42 Years Later
HE Irish Rovers have been entertaining and charming audiences for the past 42 years.
George Millar and Wilcil McDowell are the two original Rovers still left in the group. Joe Millar retired last year, Will Millar retired from the band in 1995, and sadly Jimmy Ferguson passed away in 1997.
I recently spoke with Ballymena-born George Millar and asked him to what he attributes the timeless longevity The Rovers to and the outstanding world-wide appeal they continue to enjoy with their legions of faithful fans both young and old.
"We're really semi-retired," said George, "but still tour about three to four months of the year and at our age, that is plenty. Most of our tour dates are in the United States and actually, that is where we really became popular with the Unicorn song. Touring is really a young man's game, the older you get it's much, much harder on the body.
"In our case, I think one of the reasons for our success and audience appeal, is that we have always stayed away from the political songs and stayed with the more happy up-tempo, the pretty colleens, the race horses and those type of songs. In that way, we didn't isolate half of the audience.
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
GEORGE MILLAR
"We didn't sing Orange or rebel songs, we played to everybody. We never tried to give a message on stage. Our aim was and still is to provide good rollicking entertainment for two hours of escapism, and that's what we give our audiences. Then we go....and come back another time."
It was in 1966 when The First of The Irish Rovers, a live album recorded at The Icehouse, in Pasadena, California, was released. It generated enough excitement to warrant another album and from this release came the million selling single The Unicorn, the band's signature song to this day.
The Irish Rovers have had many hits over the years but one of their classics Wasn't ThatAParty, which
was written by their friend, U.S. folk singer Tom Paxton, almost didn't get recorded.
"Tom came out to one of our parties in Chicago and the next day, he gave us this song that he had written about the party," George said, "we all had a good chuckle at the song, but, we had the song for about a year and a half not knowing exactly what to do with it.
"The way Tom Paxton would write and sing a song was almost like a talking blues type of thing. Later, when we were recording a new CD, the producer asked if we might have something a wee bit different and we told him about this song that was written for us.
"It's really strange how things develop, sometimes you just put it on the back burner and maybe bring it out when you have a sing-a-long. But, the record company put the right music behind it and there it was. We never expected that it would be played on rock and roll stations...you just never say never in this world."
In 1982, The Rovers recorded Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer which was written by Randy Brooks and has become one of The Rovers' seasonal hits.
"Here again is a song that The
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"Before my mother passed away, she said, 'do one thing for me, shave that beard and don't sing that grandma song ever again."
Rovers recorded just mainly for a good laugh, the young people like it as do many of the older people" Millar said, "but, then again, we have other fans saying, 'I wish you wouldn't do that.'
"Before my mother passed away, she said, 'do one thing for me, shave that beard and don't sing that grandma song ever again.' It's really the type of song that The Rovers have fun doing.
"We do a Christmas tour every year and of course that song has to be part of the show. Actually, all of the songs that The Rovers have become famous for, were never ever planned."
Right after The Rovers' spring tour is finished in April, they will begin work on their next CD. Part of the recording is done in Canada and then in May, George takes the unfinished CD back to Ireland so that Wilcil McDowell, who lives in Belfast and Sean O'Driscoll, who lives in Cork, can add their parts, along with a piper from Belfast.
This CD will be ready for release in November, just in time for their Christmas tour.
"We sell a lot of CDs at our concerts," Millar said, "mainly because we don't put them in record stores for about a year to a year and a half after they have been released.
"After all of our shows, we always come out to sign autographs and particularly in the U.S., we are often asked 'how much will this cost?' because, fans are used to paying the artist or sports personality for their autograph. When I say, 'no charge,' they're always amazed and I tell them, this is part of The Rovers and we're too old to change now."
Fortunately, fans in this area will have an opportunity to see The Irish Rovers on St. Patrick's Day for two shows - 4 PM and 8 PM at the River Rock Casino in Richmond.
For more information about The Irish Rovers, their tour dates, and to order their CDs, visit: www.irishrovers.com.
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8811 River Road, Richmond www.riverrock.com
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the
Irish Rovers
TUESDAY MARCH 17
TWO SHOWS! 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM
All Suites Hotel • Casino • Restaurants • Lulu's Lounge • Spa • Free Parking
Tickets at tkketmaster 604-280-4444 ticketmaster.ca
Also available at the River Rock & Red Robinson Show Theatre Box Offices
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Know your limit, play within it.
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