John Farry

John Farry (born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland in 1959) is an Irish singer/songwriter from Garrison, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He was in Irish band formation Toledo, later renamed Amarillo and much later Tennessee Sunshine before launching as vocalist and guitarist before launching a solo career and a prosperous songwriting career. He is best known for writing the Irish entry for the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest - a song entitled "Mysterious Woman" which achieved second place.

In 1976, John Farry was asked to join a country and Irish outfit called Toledo as a guitarist and an addition to the existing members of the group, John Lunny (rhythm guitar) and Tom Flanagan (accordion) both natives of Belleek, County Fermanagh. John's older brother Noel Farry also joined as drummer. Following Lunny's death (in a fire which also claimed the lives of other family members), Flanagan and the Farry brothers re-formed the group by inviting a local Cashel girl, Kathleen McKeaney (now Meehan) on board as rhythm guitarist/vocalist. This group flourished on the Irish North West lounge circuit and assumed a harder musical edge following Flanagan's retirement from the business.

As the group continued to be successful, the Farry brothers invited Lavinus Gordon (bass guitar), also a native of Belleek, County Fermanagh, to join the group and they subsequently re-packaged as Amarillo. This period saw John Farry's swift development as an accomplished country singer, excelling in both lead and harmony parts. He also developed as a top class band leader who ran a very slick, professional show.

Within the next couple of years, Amarillo was augmented by the addition of lead guitarist, Eugene Cunningham, a native of Belcoo, County Fermanagh. This outfit prospered and became one of the best country and pop acts in Ulster during this period. John Farry excelled as lead singer with a penchant for top class interpretations of Don Williams, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard material.

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