Len Graham


Len Graham: County Antrim born, Len Graham has been a full-time professional traditional singer since 1982. After he won the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann traditional singing competion in 1971 his reputation began to spread, and at the same time his own passion for the songs of his native Ulster was growing. From the early 1960s Len sought out and recorded older singers such as Eddie Butcher and Joe Holmes. Len’s extensive repertory of songs covers the whole gamut of themes and human experience as portrayed in early classic ballads, broadside ballads, local songs, come-all-ye’s, lyric folksongs, music hall pieces; songs on politics, murder, love, emigration and much more. He has performed at numerous Irish and international folk, literary and storytelling festivals, as well as appearing on many radio and television programmes. In 1992 he received the Seán O’Boyle Cultural Traditions Award in recognition of his work in Ireland as a song collector and singer. In 2002, he was honoured as the first recipient of the Irish television TG4 National Music Award for Traditional Singer Of the Year. In 2008 he was awarded Keeper of the Tradition from the Tommy Makem Festival of Traditional Song and the US Irish Music Award in the Sean-Nos Singing category.

Websites:
Len Graham
Books and CDs

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