Leahy

{{Short description|Canadian folk group originating from Lakefield, Ontario}} {{for multi|the surname|Leahy (surname)|other uses|Leahy (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox musical artist|  | name = Leahy | image = Leahy 2005.jpg | caption = Leahy performing in 2005 | image_size =  | landscape = yes | background = group_or_band | origin = Lakefield, Ontario, Canada | genre = Folk/Country/Celtic | years_active = 1980s–present | | associated_acts = {{plainlist| *Shania Twain * Natalie MacMaster }} | label = Virgin Records | website = [http://www.leahymusic.com/ www.leahymusic.com] | current_members = Donnell Leahy Erin Leahy Angus Leahy Maria Leahy Siobheann Donohue Doug Leahy Agnes Enright Frank Leahy | | past_members = Denise Leahy Chrissie Leahy Julie Leahy | }}

'''Leahy''' is a Canadian folk music group. The eight band members, all from the Leahy family of 11 siblings, are from Lakefield, Ontario, and have been touring Canada and internationally since the early 1980s, when they were known as '''The Leahy Family'''. In 1985, they were the subject of a short film entitled ''Leahy: Music Most of All'' which received an Academy Award in the category of "Best Foreign Student Film."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/saa/winners/winners.pdf |title=Student Film Award Winners -- By Year |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |accessdate=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229173821/http://www.oscars.org/awards/saa/winners/winners.pdf |archivedate=February 29, 2012 }}</ref> The members of Leahy take significant pride in their Irish roots and Canadian upbringing.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://irishamerica.com/2006/10/leahy-staying-true-to-the-tune/ | title=Leahy: Staying True to the Tune | date=October 2006 }}</ref>

The line-up of the group varies depending upon the availability of its members, who are present or absent due to marriage, childrearing and other obligations. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the band recorded a number of privately released LPs and cassettes (most of which used the same title, ''The Leahy Family'') which were sold at their concerts and they were frequent guests at the Big Valley Jamboree concerts in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

In 1997, the band resumed recording with their "relaunch" album, ''Leahy'' which also introduced the group's new branding. ''Leahy'' was an instrumental album, but the band also includes vocal performances in their live performances and subsequent albums have included both vocals and instrumentals.

Despite their established history, they were awarded two Juno awards in 1998, for Best New Group<ref name="Inc.1998">{{cite magazine|author=Larry LeBlanc|title=McLaughlin at top of Juno nominations|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14|date=21 February 1998|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=14–|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> and Best Instrumental Artist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://junoawards.ca/database/artist-summary/?artist_name=leahy |title=(Juno Awards Database Lookup) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723180613/http://junoawards.ca/database/artist-summary/?artist_name=leahy |archivedate=2011-07-23 }}</ref> The following year, Leahy took a third Juno Award, for Best Country Group or Duo. Also in 1998, Leahy were added as the opening act for Canadian country singer Shania Twain's 1998 Come on Over Tour and were featured in two television specials from the tour, ''Live'' and ''The Specials'', performing with Twain on the song "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)".<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=The Specials (Winter Break / Come On Over) |others=Shania Twain |year=2001 |url=https://www.amazon.com/Shania-Twain-Specials-Winter-Break/dp/product-description/B00005RIIO |at=Back Cover |type=DVD |publisher=Mercury |id=B00005RIIO |location=Nashville }}</ref>

The group's members are both instrumentalists and dancers, with several members skilled in fiddle-playing (most notably the band's most famous member, Donnell). The female members of the band often perform step-dancing-style routines and do most of the singing.

==Members== thumb|Leahy in concert at the Fergus Scottish Festival in 2009 All members of the band are siblings. Each member has a main role to play in the band; although most play more than one instrument and all step dance. Donnell Leahy is married to Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster and Frank is married to champion step dancer Chanda Gibson.

In 2008, Donnell Leahy and Natalie MacMaster were awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Trent University.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trentu.ca/convocation/honorarydegree_2008leahy.php |title=Honorary Degree Recipients |publisher=Trent University |accessdate=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609033850/http://www.trentu.ca/convocation/honorarydegree_2008leahy.php |archivedate=June 9, 2011 }}</ref>

*Donnell Leahy — Fiddle *Erin Leahy — Piano, Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals, Bass *Angus Leahy — Fiddle *Maria Leahy — Guitar, Banjo, Vocals *Siobheann Donohue (née Leahy) — Bass, Vocals, Fiddle *Doug Leahy — Fiddle *Denise Flack (née Leahy) — Vocals *Frank Leahy — Drums

These three sisters are not currently active in the band's touring schedule. *Agnes Enright (née Leahy) — Keyboards, Step dancer, Vocals *Chrissie Quigley (née Leahy) — Keyboards *Julie Leahy — Vocals

==Discography==

===Albums=== {|class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Album !colspan="2"|Chart Positions !rowspan="2"|CRIA |- !width="50"|CAN Country !width="50"|CAN |- |1996 |''Leahy'' |align="center"|1 |align="center"|36 |align="center"|Platinum |- |2001 |''Lakefield'' | | | |- |2004 |''In All Things'' | | | |- |2006 |''Leahy Live'' | | | |- |2007 |''Handmade'' | | | |- |2021 |''Good Water'' | | | |}

In addition, the group released several vinyl LPs and cassettes in the 1980s as The Leahy Family. These self-titled releases were privately pressed and usually sold at their concerts, although ''Christmas with the Leahy Family'' was carried by retailers such as A&B Sound.

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Title ! colspan="2"|Chart Positions ! rowspan="2"|Album |- ! width="50"|CAN Country ! width="50"|CAN AC |- | 1986 | "You've Got the Fiddle (I've Got the Bow)" | align="center"| 52 | align="center"| | ''On the Move'' |- | rowspan="2"| 1997 | "The Call to Dance" | align="center"| 26 | align="center"| 31 | rowspan="2"| ''Leahy'' |- | "B Minor" | align="center"| | align="center"| |- | rowspan="2"| 2001 | "Down That Road" | align="center"| | align="center"| | rowspan="2"| ''Lakefield'' |- | "Mission" | align="center"| | align="center"| |- | rowspan="2"| 2004 | "Chasing Rain" | align="center"| | align="center"| | rowspan="2"| ''In All Things'' |- | "Coyote Way" | align="center"| | align="center"| |}

===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! Year ! style="width:12em;"| Video |- | rowspan="2"| 1997 ! scope="row"| "The Call to Dance" |- ! scope="row"| "B Minor" |- | rowspan="2"| 2001 ! scope="row"| "Down That Road" |- ! scope="row"| "Mission" |- | 2004 ! scope="row"| "Chasing Rain" |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://leahymusic.ca Official website] * {{IMDb name|nm1559542}}

Category:Canadian country music groups Category:Canadian folk music groups Category:Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year winners Category:Canadian people of Irish descent Category:Musical groups from Ontario Category:Canadian Celtic music groups Category:Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year winners Category:Canadian Country Music Association Group or Duo of the Year winners Category:Sibling musical groups