John Whelan was raised on the sounds and spirit of the Irish fiddle and pipes. Born to an Irish family living in Dunstable, England, Whelan spent his early years learning his ancestral music and, by age 14, had recorded his first solo album. Whelan's artistry blossomed in 1980 when he moved to the United States. He combined his artistic talents with Riverdance fiddler Eileen Ivers, becoming one of the most popular Irish music duos of the decade. His unique musical vision and high-energy live performances resulted in Whelan being named Traditionalist of the Year (1998) by Irish Echo magazine. Celtic music authority Earle Hitchner writes that "as an instrumentalist, composer, producer, and arranger who brings both passion and playfulness to his music while respecting the tradition that it's rooted in, John Whelan has richly earned the Irish Echo's highest honor for traditional music." |
