Michael Coleman (musician)
| Michael Coleman | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 31, 1891 Knockgrania, near Ballymote, County Sligo, Ireland. |
| Died | January 4, 1945 New York, New York, United States |
| Genres | Irish folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Fiddle |
| Years active | 1909–1945 |
Michael Coleman (January 31, 1891 – January 4, 1945) was an Irish fiddler from County Sligo, and a major exponent of the Sligo fiddle style.
Michael Coleman was born in Knockgrania, in the rural Killavil district, near Ballymote, County Sligo, Ireland. His father, James Coleman, was from Banada in County Roscommon, and a respected flute player. Michael was the seventh child of James and Beatrice, and the surviving half of a pair of twins.
As a child he learned step dancing and fiddle playing, and performed at local houses. His elder brother Jim had a high reputation but was never recorded. In his formative years Michael was influenced by Uilleann pipers (a type of bagpipe), including Johnny Gorman.
He left school in 1908, at the age of 17. He competed at the Sligo Feis Ceoil in 1909 and again in 1910, and was placed joint third on both occasions. In 1914 he moved to Manchester, England to live with his older brother Pat, but returned home after several months.
In October 1914, at the age of twenty-three, Coleman sailed to America with his friend John Hunt. Initially he stayed with his aunt in Lowell, Massachusetts and joined the Keith Theatres vaudeville circuit. In 1917, he settled in New York City, and married Marie Fanning, originally from County Monaghan, Ireland. They had one child, Mary.
Between 1921 and 1936 he recorded roughly eighty 78-rpm records for many record labels, including: Shannon, Vocalion Records, Columbia Records, Okeh Records, New Republic, Pathe, O'Beirne de Witt, Victor Records, Brunswick Records, and Decca Records. Some of these were re-issued under the Intrepid, Coral Records, and Ace of Hearts labels. He was mainly accompanied by pianists, but on three 1934 78 discs, he was joined by tenor guitar player Michael "Whitey" Andrews.
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