Ronnie Drew Biography
Ronald "Ronnie" Drew (born "Joseph Ronald Drew") (16 September 1934 – 16 August 2008) was an Irish singer and folk musician who achieved international fame during a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners. He was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. He was best known for his long beard and his voice, which was once described by Nathan Joseph as being "like the sound of coke being crushed under a door".
Early life
Ronnie Drew was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin in 1934. Ironically with Drew being so intimately associated with being "a Dubliner" he would somewhat tongue and cheekily say that; "I was born and grew up in Dun Laoghaire, and no true Dubliner would accept that at all!". He was educated by the Christian Brothers. Drew used to "mitch" and cycle up to Leopardstown Racecourse. Despite an aversion to education on the part of Drew, he was considered the most intelligent in his class by schoolfriend and future Irish film censor, Sheamus Smith. Drew was a boy soprano before his voice broke.
Career
In the 1950s, Drew emigrated to Spain to teach English and learn Spanish and flamenco guitar. His interest in folk music began at the age of 19. When he returned to Ireland, he performed in the Gate Theatre with John Molloy and soon after, went into the music business full-time. In the meantime, he had a number of short-term jobs, including one in the telephone exchange in Dublin.
In 1962, he founded the Ronnie Drew Group with Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna and Ciaran Bourke. They soon changed their name to The Dubliners, with John Sheahan joining shortly afterwards to form the definitive line-up. They would soon become one of the best known Irish folk groups. They played at first in O'Donoghue's Pub in Merrion Row, Dublin 2 where they were often accompanied by Mary Jordan on the spoons and vocalist Ann Mulqueen, a friend of Barney. Mary's mother, Peggy Jordan, introduced them to the Abbey Tavern in Howth, which became a regular Monday night venue for the emerging group. They also played across the road in the Royal Hotel. The group also played at all-night parties in Peggy's large house in Kenilworth Square in Rathgar and in John Molloy's flat in Ely Place, just around the corner from O'Donoghue's. Ronnie left the Dubliners in 1974, rejoined in 1979 and finally left for good in 1995, though he did reunite with the group in 2002 for a 40th anniversary celebration.
From 1995 onwards Drew pursued a solo career. He recorded with many artists, including Christy Moore, The Pogues, Antonio Breschi, Dropkick Murphys, Eleanor Shanley and others. He did a number of "one-man shows" (he was accompanied by various guitarists, including Mike Hanrahan) during this period, such as
Songs and Stories,
Ronnie, I Hardly Knew Ya and
Ronnie. These shows consisted of stories about people such as Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh and Seán O'Casey, as well as Ronnie singing their songs.
He is also known for fronting a campaign to encourage the use of Dublin's light-rail infrastructure (the DART) and before that the "
My Dublin" ads for radio stations 98FM and FM104. He narrated a retelling (scripted by Steven Byrne) of the great Irish Myths and Legends over a six CD set in 2006. He also narrated the stories of Oscar Wilde in his distinctive voice in a series released on CD by the
News Of The World newspaper.
On 22 August 2006, he was honoured in a ceremony where his hand prints were added to the "
walk of fame" outside Dublin's Gaiety Theatre.
Declining health & death
In September 2006, Drew was reported to be in ill-health after being admitted to St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, to undergo tests for suspected cancer. The
Evening Herald reported that Drew's apparent illness was due to years of heavy drinking. However, according to a fan site dedicated to The Dubliners, it was reported that he was undergoing treatment for throat cancer. (Drew had been a teetotaler for a number of years, with an occasional relapse.date=August 2008 However, he remained a regular smoker.)
Ronnie appeared on Ireland's
The Late Late Show on the 15 December 2006 along with Phil Coulter, where he discussed his recent health scares.
Despite his ailing health, Drew featured on an album entitled
Pearls produced by Niall Austin with work Drew did with Jah Wobble.
His wife of over 40 years, Deirdre Drew (née McCartan) died on 7 June 2007 at St Vincent's Hospital. She died just a day before Ronnie was due to return to performing after his battle with cancer, at the
Legends of Irish Folk concert with Johnny McEvoy, Ralph McTell and Finbar Furey.
On 25 October 2007, Ronnie Drew appeared on
Ryan Confidential on RTÉ 1 to give an interview about his role in The Dubliners, his life since leaving the band and being diagnosed with throat cancer. This was Ronnie's first ever televised appearance where he was shown bald and beardless. Later in 2007, Ronnie again appeared on
The Late Late Show, where he again spoke about the death of his wife and his ongoing treatment for cancer.
Drew died in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin on 16 August 2008, following his long illness and was buried three days later in Redford Cemetery in Greystones.
Tributes
The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
On 19 February 2008, a song was released called "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" performed by a number of famous Irish musicians. This included members of U2, Sinéad O'Connor, Christy Dignam of Aslan, Robert Hunter of the Grateful Dead, Kíla, Christy Moore, Andrea Corr, Moya Brennan, Shane MacGowan, Bob Geldof, Damien Dempsey, Gavin Friday, Iona Green, Jerry Fish, Paul Brady, Paddy Casey, Mick Pyro, Mundy, Chris de Burgh, Ronan Keating, Jack L, Eleanor Shanley, Mary Black, Declan O'Rourke, Mary Coughlan, and Joe Elliott of Def Leppard as well as The Dubliners and The Chieftains.
The single was written to originally include Ronnie himself but was changed to be a tribute to him as his health was declining. Proceeds from sale of the single went to The Irish Cancer Society at the request of Drew himself. The song was performed live on
The Late Late Show on 22 February with Ronnie Drew in attendance as an audience member, and entered the Irish Single Charts at #2.
September Song
Also in 2008, RTE broadcast a documentary on Ronnie Drew in May - as part of its
Arts Lives series. Called
September Song, it featured Ronnie's recollections of growing up in his grandmother's house in Dun Laoghaire, the foundation of The Dubliners in O'Donoghue's pub on Merrion Row, the days touring the world, the loss of his wife and his own battle with cancer. Interviewed in
September Song are his son Phelim, daughter Cliodhna, and friends and fans such as Bono, Billy Connolly and Damien Dempsey.
September Song was produced by Oscar nominated producer Noel Pearson and directed by Sinead O'Brien. The name of the documentary comes from a recording of
September Song, the Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson song made popular through recordings by a number of artists, including Frank Sinatra, which features on Ronnie's 2006 solo album,
There's Life In The Old Dog Yet.
Other Tributes
The Tossers, a Chicago based celtic punk band, dedicated their album
On a Fine Spring Evening to his memory. Their song
St. Stephen's Day includes the line "I could go on up to Wicklow and throw a rose on Ronnie's grave".
Gaelic Storm names Ronnie on the song
I Was Raised on Black and Tans from their 2010 album
Cabbage. "I was raised on black and tans...on Ronnie Drew and Van the Man" is a line from the song.
The Last Session: A Fond Farewell
