The Hennessys
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The Hennessys are one of Wales' foremost traditional folk music groups.
In 1966 Frank Hennessy (born 2 Feb 1947, in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales) and Dave Burns (born David Burns, 4 Nov 1946, in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales), 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 (on banjo, vocals) (born in 1946, in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales). Having achieved success in the Cardiff area, they decided to spend some time travelling around Ireland, the land of Frank and Dave's forefathers, 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.
The current line-up still includes Frank (on guitar) and Dave (on guitar and mandolin), who have now been joined by Iolo Jones, on fiddle, (born 12 Feb 1955, in Plymouth, Devon, England).
Frank Hennessy has also been hosting his own radio programmes on BBC Radio Wales since 1984.
[edit] Albums
- Frank Hennessy - Thoughts & Memories (1987)
- The Hennessys - Caneuon Cynnar / The Early Songs (1993)
- The Hennessys - Cardiff After Dark
- The Hennessys - Homecoming
