Tommy Sands (Irish folk singer)
| Tommy Sands | |
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Tommy Sands performs in a joint Israeli-Palestinian demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah against house evictions of Palestinians by Israeli courts.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tommy Sands |
| Born | 19 December 1945 |
| Origin | Mayobridge, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Genres | Irish Folk, Celtic |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, radio broadcaster, political activist |
| Instruments | Guitar, Whistle, Banjo, Fiddle, Bodhrán, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s-present |
| Associated acts |
The Sands Family, Tommy Sands with Moya and Fionán Sands |
| Website |
www.sandfamilyfolk.com tommysands.com |
Tommy Sands (born 19 December 1945),Mayobridge, County Down, Northern Ireland, is a folk singer, songwriter, radio broadcaster, and political activist. He performs with his three siblings as The Sands Family; solo as Tommy Sands; and with his son and daughter as Tommy Sands with Moya and Fionán Sands. Tommy was the prime songwriter for The Sands Family, one of Ireland's most influential folk groups of the 1960s and '70s.
Tommy Sands has hosted Country Céilí, a radio show on Downtown Radio in Newtownards since 1976.
His song "There Were Roses" has been described as "... certainly one of the best songs ever written about the "Irish Problem"".
In May 2002 he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Nevada, Reno for his outstanding work as musician and ambassador for peace and understanding. May 18 of each year has been proclaimed Tommy Sands Day in Reno.
Tommy Sands was born on the family farm on the 'Ryan Road' in the townland of Ryan, near Mayobridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. His parents, Mick and Bridie, both came from families of singers, musicians and storytellers and encouraged a love of Irish culture and tradition in their seven children (Mary, the eldest, then Hugh, Ben, Colum, Eugene and Anne.) . His father Mick (known to all as 'The Chief') and six uncles played the fiddle. His mother Bridie, an accordionist, is the daughter of 'Burren poet', Owen Connolly, and her mother was related to the Brontë family. Their Céilidh house on the Ryan Road, in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, was a focal point for Catholic and Protestant neighbours from nearby farms to enjoy music and craic.
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