Le Cheile 2004

Mary Coughlan

While much has been said and written about Mary Coughlan's troubled life; including a suicide attempt, a spell in a psychiatric ward, a broken marriage, crooked contracts, calamitous career moves, a repossessed house, an overdose, alcoholism, pills, adultery, depression; it is for her music she is best known.

From here acclaimed appearance on the "Late Late Show" in 1985 and the release of her debut album "Tired and Emotional" which sold over 100,000 thousand copies in Ireland alone, through to her series of multimedia shows in Dublin celebrating Billie Holiday (resulting in the wonderful collection "Sings Billie Holiday"), and the critically acclaimed "Long Honeymoon" and "Red Blues", Mary Coughlan has been delighting fans and critics for almost two decades.

She has covered songs by a host of artists, including; Peggy Lee's classic "Don't Smoke In Bed", Billie Holiday's ballad "Good Morning Heartache", Christy Moore's "Ride On", The Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper", Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel"; as well as performing songs by Jimmy McCarthy, Johnny Mulhern, Paul Doran, Thom Moore, Marc Almond, Mark Nevin and Bob Geldof.

Mary Coughlan is one of the few artists to have a voice that is powerful, passionate and honest enough to carry off such a diverse range of styles, and it's no wonder Neil Jordan choose her to give Julia Roberts singing lessons in preparation for her role in Michael Collins.

She is sure to enchant yet another audience with her hypnotic blend of Blues and Jazz at Le Cheile 2004.

 

Mary Coughlan will be playing on Sunday 1st August at 9:00 pm in Caffrey's