Tommy Makem

Tommy Makem
Makem at the Dublin Irish Festival, 2005
Background information
Born(1932-11-04)4 November 1932
Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Died1 August 2007(2007-08-01) (aged 74)
Dover, New Hampshire, United States
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • artist
  • poet
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • banjo
  • tin whistle
  • guitar
  • bagpipes
  • bodhrán
Years active1956–2007
Formerly of
Websitemakem.com

Thomas Makem (4 November 1932 – 1 August 2007) was an Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone. He was sometimes known as "The Bard of Armagh" (taken from a traditional song of the same name) and "The Godfather of Irish Music".