The Makem Brothers
| The Makem Brothers (Makem and Spain) | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dover, New Hampshire, USA |
| Genres | Folk |
| Years active | 1989-2018 |
| Labels | Red Biddy Records |
| Associated acts | Tommy Makem |
| Website | Official website |
| Past members | Rory Makem Liam Spain Mickey Spain Conor Makem Shane Makem Brian Sullivan |
Makem and Spain was an Irish-American folk music band. The band was founded as "The Makem Brothers" in February 1989 by Rory, Shane, and Conor Makem, the three sons of "The Godfather of Irish Music" Tommy Makem, and grandsons of Irish source singer Sarah Makem.
In 2003, brothers Liam and Mickey Spain joined, and the band was renamed "The Makem and Spain Brothers". When Shane and Conor Makem left in 2014, the band was renamed "Makem and Spain".
On March 5, 2018, Makem & Spain announced on their Facebook page that they were breaking up, bringing down the final curtain on the act originally known as the Makem Brothers.
The three Makem brothers were born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland and grew up in Dover, New Hampshire, where the family moved to in the mid 1970s. Their father, Tommy Makem, was one of the most famous Irish musicians in the world, first as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem and later as a solo act. Tommy's mother was the singer and traditional song collector Sarah Makem. The Makem Brothers' elder sister Katie Makem is also a performer, although she does not tour professionally. Shane Makem was born in August 1967, Conor in September 1968 and Rory in October 1969.
Both Shane and Conor attended Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts and Rory went to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. As a student at Bard College, Rory formed a band with Lisa Gentile, Lisa Lisa and the Country Jam.
In February 1989, Shane and Rory Makem founded the band, the Makem Brothers, debuting at the now-closed Blackthorne Tavern in Easton, Massachusetts. Guitarist Brian Sullivan joined the duo soon after. The Makem Brothers and Brian Sullivan were set to perform at the Tom Clancy Memorial Concert in New York City in November 1991; for the event, they wanted a bass player. Their father, Tommy Makem, suggested their middle brother, Conor Makem, and so he debuted with his brothers and Brian Sullivan at the memorial concert.
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