{{Short description|Irish musician (1969–2001)}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2016}} {{Use British English|date=November 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox person |name = Mic Christopher |image = Mic Christopher live at Whelans in 2001.jpg |caption = Christopher live at Whelan's, 2001 |birth_date = {{birth date|1969|9|21|df=y}} |birth_place = Bronx, New York City, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2001|11|29|1969|9|21|df=y}} |death_place = Groningen, Netherlands |occupation = Singer-songwriter |known_for = The Mary Janes |birth_name = Michael Christopher }}
''' Michael''' "'''Mic'''" '''Christopher''' (21 September 1969 – 29 November 2001) was an Irish singer-songwriter, best known for his posthumously released debut album ''Skylarkin'''.
== Early life == Michael Christopher was born in The Bronx, New York City,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Margaret |title=The Life & Death Of Mic Christopher |url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/the-life-death-of-mic-christopher-16665676 |access-date=2025-07-21 |website=Hotpress |language=en}}</ref> to Irish parents Harry Christopher from Dublin and Vaun Heaney from Sixmilecross, County Tyrone. They moved back to Dublin in 1972 when Michael was still a toddler.<ref>{{cite AV media | orig-date=First aired 16 January 2003 | title=Troubadour | series=Leargas | type=Television production | minutes=3:30 | location=Ireland | publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64O-gX07j-4 | access-date=21 September 2022 }}</ref> He later attended Coláiste Chilliain in Clondalkin. He started playing traditional Irish music with school groups until he was about fifteen years old when he started busking.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-06 |title='He was exceptionally talented and at the top of his game' - musician friends of Mic Christopher pay tribute in new documentary |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/he-was-exceptionally-talented-and-at-the-top-of-his-game-musician-friends-of-mic-christopher-pay-tribute-in-new-documentary/38283458.html |access-date=2025-07-21 |website=Irish Independent |language=en}}</ref> Busking in Dublin over the next five years, Christopher made friends with many of the musicians on the Dublin circuit, including brothers Karl and David Odlum, Glen Hansard and others.
== Musical career == In 1990, Christopher formed the band The Mary Janes<ref>{{cite news|date=30 November 2001|title=Irish singer Mic Christopher dies|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2001/1130/21085-christopher/|language=en}}</ref> with former Kila bass player and fellow busker Karl Odlum, and added Simon Good on guitar and Steven Hogan on drums.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Irish Music Central – The Mary Janes – Biography|url=http://irishmusiccentral.com/themaryjanes/biography.html|access-date=16 September 2020|website=irishmusiccentral.com}}</ref> The band's line-up evolved over the next nine years, becoming a three piece without drums when Hogan left the group. It was the three-piece version that recorded the band's first album, ''Bored of Their Laughing.''<ref name="skylarkin-vinyl-release-article">{{Cite web|last=Clark|first=Stuart|title=Mic Christopher album gets vinyl release on what would have been his 48th birthday|url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/mic-christopher-album-gets-vinyl-release-on-what-would-have-been-his-48th-birthday-20765992|access-date=16 September 2020|website=Hotpress}}</ref> In 1994, the Mary Janes signed a publishing deal with Warner-Chappell. In 1996 the band acquired the drumming talents of Australian Mark Stanley, with this line-up recording their second album, ''Sham'', in 1998.<ref name="skylarkin-vinyl-release-article" /> Over the years The Mary Janes played everywhere from the Feile and Fleadh music festivals in Ireland, to Glastonbury Festival in England, to the CMJ in New York City. The band also performed a six-week stint in Bosnia with the War Child charity. The Mary Janes split in 1999 and Christopher embarked on a three-month solo tour of Victoria, Australia. In 2001, having recovered from a bad motorbike accident, Christopher released his solo ''Heyday'' EP and announced that he would be supporting The Waterboys on their next tour.
== Death == Christopher's 2001 tour with the Waterboys performed in {{ill|De Oosterpoort|nl}} in Groningen, Netherlands, on 16 November 2001.<ref name="setlist">{{cite web |title=The Waterboys Setlist at De Oosterpoort, Groningen, Netherlands |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-waterboys/2001/de-oosterpoort-groningen-netherlands-43c31b7f.html |website=setlist.fm |access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref> That night, after he had played his set supporting The Waterboys, Christopher was found unconscious, having apparently struck his head on some steps during an accidental fall.<ref name="RTVNoord">{{cite news |title=Gewonde blijkt Ierse muzikant |url=https://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/16422/Gewonde-blijkt-Ierse-muzikant |access-date=7 May 2021 |work=RTV Noord| language=nl |date=21 November 2001}}</ref> On arrival at a local hospital, he was found to have lapsed into a coma as a result of severe swelling to the brain. He never regained consciousness, and died on 29 November 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2001/1130/21085-christopher/|title=Irish singer Mic Christopher dies|website=RTE|date=30 November 2001|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref>
== ''Skylarkin''' == Christopher had been working on a solo album entitled ''Skylarkin<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' prior to his death. The album was incomplete but Christopher had made notes as to how the recordings could be improved. During November 2002, work from many of his friends and family resulted in the posthumous release of Christopher's first and only solo album. ''Skylarkin''' later won Best Album at the 2003 Meteor Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30090384.html|title=Geldof wins Lifetime Gong at Meteor Awards ceremony|website=Irish Examiner|date=3 March 2003|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref> His family were present to collect the award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.totallydublin.ie/more/last-forever-heyday-the-mic-christopher-story/|title=LAST FOREVER – HEYDAY: THE MIC CHRISTOPHER STORY|website=Totally Dublin|date=17 September 2019|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2003/0205/398638-meteorawards/|title=2003 Meteor Ireland Music Award Nominees|website=RTE|date=5 February 2003|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishmusiccentral.com/micchristopher/news.html|title=Mic Christopher|website=Irish Music Central|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref>
== Legacy == * Since Christopher's death, Glen Hansard of the Frames has dedicated each of that band's albums to him. They also dedicate their cover version of his hit "Heyday" to him when played live. * Damien Rice dedicated his album ''O'', released eight weeks after Christopher's death, to his departed friend. * Lisa Hannigan dedicated the song "Splishy Splashy" to him on her debut album ''Sea Sew'' (2008). * Rónán Ó Snodaigh from Kíla, who co-wrote the song "Friends with Mic" and shared a flat with him in the years before his death, wrote the song "The Dream I Haven't Shown Her" on his album ''The Playdays'' for Mic; it is a medley of the W.H. Auden poem "Funeral Blues" and a song written by Mic Christopher, "Embrace the Day". * In 2021, the Mary Janes released a previously unrecorded track named "Heartbreaker" about Christopher. * In 2021, Christopher's friends and family held a tribute concert, titled ''Happy Birthday Mic Christopher''. The concert was held at Whelans, Dublin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/mic-christopher-twenty-years-gone-and-he-still-resonates-with-so-many-people-40859052.html|title=Mic Christopher: 'Twenty years gone and he still resonates with so many people'|website=Irish Independent|last=Meagher|first=John|date=18 September 2021|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref> On 21 September 2021, a live album, recorded by Christopher in 2001, was released.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/70oiI4pCUqyXAgJIlQccbm?si=44Wux2wuQL-2xQFhxP6mwQ|title=Live At The Lobby|website=Spotify|date=21 September 2021|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref>
== Discography == === Studio albums === *''Skylarkin''' (2002)
=== Live albums === *''Live at the Lobby'' (2021)
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [http://homepage.eircom.net/~micchristopher/ Mic Christopher's official site] * [http://www.irishmusiccentral.com/micchristopher/index.html Mic Christopher] at Irish Music Central * {{YouTube|oXza8Pqr_KM|Mic performing Heyday in the Spirit Store, Feb 2001}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Christopher, Mic}} Category:1969 births Category:2001 deaths Category:People from Clondalkin Category:Musicians from the Bronx Category:Musicians from Dublin (city) Category:Irish male singer-songwriters Category:Irish buskers Category:American emigrants to Ireland Category:Accidental deaths from falls in the Netherlands Category:Deaths from head injury Category:20th-century Irish male singers Category:20th-century Irish singer-songwriters