Brian is first and foremost a live performer and songwriter. His own words, “Music is my lifeblood,” are reflected in his relentless schedule, from his first gig in the ‘90s, to present time. His constant touring from Ireland and the UK to Australia and the USA, including the major global festivals, has resulted in a thriving international fan base over a phenomenal twenty-year career in the music industry.
It’s easy to see why Brian Kennedy was selected as one of the four coaches on ‘The Voice of Ireland’ TV series. Quite simply, he has all the credentials. Brian brought a wealth of experience to the panel on the freshest talent show taking the world by storm. He was an inspiration both to the aspiring singers he mentored, and to his loyal fans worldwide.
Brian’s work with Van Morrison has been well documented. As featured lead singer on the legend’s ‘Blues & Soul Revue’ he shared stages over that six-year tour with Van and other all-time greats: Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. He also accompanied Van on five of his major albums. However, you might be less familiar with Brian’s performances with Stevie Wonder together with being one of only a few to perform with the now legendary Jeff Buckley at Sin É in New York.
Throughout the continuous touring, Brian managed to maintain a stream of a dozen or so chart-making albums. ‘A Better Man’ (1996) and ‘Now That I Know What I Want’ (1999), both went platinum at No.1 and earned him the awards of Irish Best Male Artist and Irish Best Male Album. His single, ‘You Raise Me Up’, from the 2005 ‘Tribute’ album to George Best entered the UK charts top 5, as did the highly acclaimed ‘Homebird’ (2006) and cover album ‘Interpretations’ (2008). His phenomenal career covers a wide spectrum of the music industry, radio/TV host and presenter and lead performer on international stages, from New York’s Riverdance on Broadway to Eurovision 2006, Athens. Brian has also received many prestigious awards, including the 2010 Ireland Meteor Life Achievement Award for Music, and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Ulster, for his contribution to the Arts.
