The Chieftains

{{Short description|Irish folk band}} {{Other uses|Chieftain (disambiguation)}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = The Chieftains | image = Chieftains-anoriant2008.png | caption = The Chieftains performing in 2008 | image_size =  | landscape = yes | background = group_or_band | origin = Dublin, Ireland | genre = {{hlist|Traditional Irish|Irish folk|Celtic}} | years_active = 1962–2023 | label = {{hlist|Claddagh|Island|RCA|Columbia}} | website = {{URL|https://www.thechieftains.com/}} | past_members = Paddy Moloney Seán Potts Michael Tubridy David Fallon Martin Fay Peadar Mercier Seán Keane Derek Bell Ronnie McShane Barney McKenna Matt Molloy Kevin Conneff | alias = Ireland's Musical Ambassadors }}

'''The Chieftains''' were a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous with traditional Irish music. They are regarded as having helped popularise Irish music around the world.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/the-chieftains-out-of-this-world-3038454.html |title=The Chieftains... out of this world! |publisher= | website= Independent.ie |date=3 March 2012 |access-date=14 February 2013}}</ref> They have won six Grammy Awards during their career and they were given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Some music experts<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.stevewinick.com/thechieftains.cfm |title= The Chieftains |publisher= Stephen D. Winick| website= stevewinick.com |date=17 March 1975 |access-date=14 February 2013}}</ref> have credited The Chieftains with bringing traditional Irish music to a worldwide audience, so much so that the Irish government awarded them the honorary title of "'Ireland's Musical Ambassadors" in 1989.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.westportfestival.com/the-chieftains/ |title= The Chieftains| website= westportfestival.com| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120330194342/http://www.westportfestival.com/the-chieftains/ |archivedate= 30 March 2012 | date= | access-date= }}</ref>

==Name== The band's name came from the book ''Death of a Chieftain'' by Irish author John Montague.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.shaw.ca/chieftains/history.html|title=Shaw Communications|website=Members.shaw.ca|access-date=4 August 2018}}</ref> Assisted early on by Garech Browne, they signed with his company Claddagh Records.

==Career== ===Origins=== Paddy Moloney was a member of Ceoltóirí Chualann, a group of musicians who specialised in instrumentals and sought to form a new band. Their first rehearsals were held at Moloney's house, with David Fallon and Martin Fay joining the original three. The group remained only semi-professional until the 1970s. By then, they had achieved great success in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

===Rise to international fame=== In 1973, their popularity began to spread to the United States when their previous albums were released there by Island Records. They received further acclaim when they worked on the Academy Award–winning soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick's 1975 film ''Barry Lyndon'', which triggered their transition to the mainstream in the US.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/arts/music/stones-chieftains-beach-boys-and-el-gran-combo-turn-50.html | work=The New York Times | first=Ben | last=Ratliff | title=Stones, Chieftains, Beach Boys and El Gran Combo Turn 50 | date=3 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/chieftains | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130801020629/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/chieftains | url-status= dead | archive-date= 1 August 2013 |title=Articles about Chieftains | work= Chicago Tribune |publisher= |access-date=14 February 2013}}</ref>

===Successful career=== The group continued to release successful records throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and their work with Van Morrison in 1988 resulted in the critically acclaimed album ''Irish Heartbeat''.<ref>{{cite news | first= Sean |last= Michaels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/nov/22/chieftains-bon-iver-decemberists |title=Chieftains team up with Bon Iver and the Decemberists |work=The Guardian |date= 22 November 2011|access-date=14 February 2013 |location=London}}</ref> They went on to collaborate with many other well-known musicians and singers; among them Luciano Pavarotti, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinéad O'Connor, Sting, and Roger Daltrey.<ref>{{cite web |author=NPR Staff |date=14 February 2012 |title=The Chieftains: For 50 Years, Irish Music for the World |url= https://www.npr.org/2012/02/14/146821406/the-chieftains-for-50-years-irish-music-for-the-world |work=Morning Edition |publisher=NPR |access-date=14 February 2013}}</ref>

===50th anniversary=== In 2012, they celebrated their 50th anniversary with an ambitious album and tour. The album, ''Voice of Ages'', was produced by T Bone Burnett and featured the Chieftains collaborating with many musicians including Bon Iver, Paolo Nutini and The Decemberists. It also included a collaboration with NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman playing the flute aboard the International Space Station as it orbited the Earth. The Chieftains performed at Carnegie Hall on 17 March 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/16/chieftains-celebrating-50th-anniversary-with-carnegie-hall-concert/ |title= Chieftains Celebrating 50th Anniversary With Carnegie Hall Concert|date=March 16, 2012|publisher=CBS New York|access-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref>

===The Irish Goodbye Tour=== In February 2019, The Chieftains embarked on an extensive farewell tour entitled the "Irish Goodbye Tour", including a 2019 European leg, a 2020 Canadian leg and two 2019 and 2020 US legs.<ref name="The Chieftains tours">{{cite web |url=https://www.thechieftains.com/tours/ |title=Tours |date= 13 March 2020 |publisher=The Chieftains |access-date= 13 March 2020}}</ref> On 13 March 2020, the band announced that a few tour dates of their "Irish Goodbye Tour" had been postponed (until further notice) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{refn|group=nb|Five shows scheduled for mid-March 2020 in the US had to be postponed due to the coronavirus situation in the US: on 13 March at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts; on 14 at the UConn Jorgensen Center in Storrs, Connecticut; on 15 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey; on 17 at The Town Hall in New York City; on 19 at the George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. All tickets will be honoured for the soon-to-be-rescheduled dates.<ref name="facebook 13 March 2020 The Chieftains">{{cite web |url= https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158019525255419&id=240477855418 |title=It is with great sadness that we announce the following tour dates on The Chieftains 'Irish Goodbye Tour' have been postponed until further notice. |date=13 March 2020 |publisher=Facebook |access-date=13 March 2020}}</ref>}}

===2021: Paddy Moloney's death=== The Chieftains' co-founder and leader Paddy Moloney died suddenly on 12 October 2021,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theirishworld.com/paddy-moloney|title=Chieftains founder Paddy Moloney laid to rest|work=The Irish World|first=David |last=Hennessy|date=18 October 2021|access-date=24 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2021/1012/1253247-paddy-moloney-the-chieftains-founder-dies/ |title= Paddy Moloney, The Chieftains founder, dies aged 83 |first=Sinéad |last=Crowley |work=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |date=12 October 2021 |access-date=24 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Finn |first= Melanie |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ireland-has-lost-a-true-talent-and-advocate-for-traditional-music-warm-tributes-for-legendary-musician-paddy-moloney-83-40941000.html |title=Ireland has lost a 'true talent and advocate for traditional music' – warm tributes for legendary musician Paddy Moloney (83) |newspaper=Irish Independent |date=12 October 2021 |access-date=24 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Burke |first=Céimin |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/paddy-moloney-chieftains-dies-5572116-Oct2021/ |title=President leads tributes to 'extraordinary' Chieftains founder Paddy Moloney |date=12 October 2021 |work=The Journal |publisher=Journal Media Ltd. |location=Dublin |access-date=24 July 2022}}</ref> effectively ending the band.

===2022: ''Live in San Francisco 1973 & 1976''=== On 23 July 2022, in celebration of the band's 60 years, it was announced the forthcoming release on 2 September 2022 on vinyl, CD, and digital downloads of ''Bear's Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt, The Chieftains Live in San Francisco 1973 & 1976'' featuring the Chieftains performing live in San Francisco in 1973 and 1976. The 2CD & Digital editions of the album feature the recordings of two entire shows in San Francisco: on 1 October 1973 at The Boarding House during their first tour in the U.S. (an unscheduled gig which occurred at Jerry Garcia's invitation to open for his bluegrass band, Old & In the Way) and on 5 May 1976 at The Great American Music Hall, while the vinyl release features two sides containing (only) the performance from 1 October 1973.<ref name="Facebook The Chieftains in San Francisco 1973 & 1976 announcement">{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/OwsleyStanleyFoundation/posts/pfbid0xL8Bbo1mimwDwEsLzYCq2X74hfPZwGNQoHWPDEfdHf2beK2VyqdmUiyZXTaUGmCbl?__tn__=-R |title=Celebrating 60 years of The Chieftains, we are thrilled to announce the 9th Chapter of Bear's Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt, The Chieftains in San Francisco! Vinyl, CD, and digital downloads will be available everywhere on September 2... |date= 22 July 2022 |website= Facebook.com| publisher= Owsley Stanley Foundation |access-date= 24 July 2022}}</ref><ref name="owsleystanleyfoundation.org The Chieftains in San Francisco 1973 & 1976 announcement">{{cite web |url= https://owsleystanleyfoundation.org/bears-sonic-journals/the-chieftains-in-san-francisco/ |title=The Chieftains in San Francisco (The Boarding House, October 1, 1973 / The Great American Music Hall, May 5, 1976) |date= July 2022 |website= owsleystanleyfoundation.org |access-date= 24 July 2022}}</ref>

==Collaborations== [[File:Bob Dylan+Paddy Moloney.jpg|250px|thumb|Paddy Moloney pictured with Bob Dylan, who is a fan of the band's work]]

The band has become known for their vast work of collaborations with popular musicians of many genres, including country music, Galician traditional music, Newfoundland music, and rock and roll. Their widespread work as collaborators resulted in the Irish Government awarding the group the honorary title of Ireland's Musical Ambassadors in 1989.<ref name=JP06>{{cite book | last = McCarthy| first = John Patrick | title = Ireland: a reference guide from the Renaissance to the present| publisher = Infobase| year =2006 | page =216| isbn =978-0-8160-5378-0 }}</ref>

They have performed with (in alphabetical order):{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em| * Moya Brennan * Jackson Browne * The Belfast Harp Orchestra * Rosanne Cash * The Civil Wars * Ry Cooder * The Corrs * Elvis Costello * Roger Daltrey * The Decemberists * Lila Downs * The Dubliners * Elio e le Storie Tese * John Entwistle * Marianne Faithfull * Bela Fleck * James Galway * Art Garfunkel * Glass Tiger * Mike Gordon * Great Big Sea * Nanci Griffith * Emmylou Harris * Irish Ballet Company * Mick Jagger * Colin James * Tom Jones * Sissel Kyrkjebø * Kepa Junkera * Mark Knopfler * Diana Krall * Alison Krauss * Nolwenn Leroy<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.thechieftains.com/main/2012/06/20/nolwenn-leroy-to-join-the-chieftains-in-paris/ |title= Nolwenn Leroy to join The Chieftains in Paris!| website= thechieftains.com| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160305113526/http://www.thechieftains.com/main/2012/06/20/nolwenn-leroy-to-join-the-chieftains-in-paris/ |archivedate=5 March 2016 |publisher= The Chieftains| date= 20 June 2012| access-date= 29 February 2016}}</ref> * Los Cenzontles * Lyle Lovett * The Low Anthem * Ashley MacIsaac * Natalie MacMaster * Madonna * Ziggy Marley * Loreena McKennitt * Sarah McLachlan * Natalie Merchant * Milladoiro * Gary Moore * Van Morrison * Willie Nelson * Nickel Creek * Carlos Núñez * Paolo Nutini * Siobhán O'Brien * Sinéad O'Connor * Mike Oldfield * Luciano Pavarotti * Pink Martini * The Pogues<ref>{{cite book| last= Clerk| first= Carol| title= Kiss My Arse: The Story of the Pogues| publisher= Omnibus Press| date= October 9, 2006| place= London| isbn= }}</ref> * Punch Brothers * Eros Ramazzotti * The Rolling Stones * Earl Scruggs * Ricky Skaggs * Sting * Ultravox * Jim White * John Williams}}

In May 1986, they performed at Self Aid, a benefit concert held in Dublin that focused on the problem of chronic unemployment which was widespread in Ireland at that time. In 1994, they appeared in Roger Daltrey's production, album and video of ''A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who''. They performed with Canadian astronaut Cmdr. Chris Hadfield in Houston, Texas, on 15 February 2013. Hadfield sang and played guitar on "Moondance" from aboard the International Space Station.

==Success and legacy== The band has won six Grammy Awards and has been nominated eighteen times. They have won an Emmy and a Genie and contributed tracks, including their highly praised version of the song ''Women of Ireland'', to Leonard Rosenman's Oscar-winning score for Stanley Kubrick's 1975 film ''Barry Lyndon''.<ref name=JP06/> In 2002 they were given a ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' by the UK's BBC Radio 2. Two of their singles have been minor hits in the UK Singles Chart. "Have I Told You Lately" (credited to The Chieftains with Van Morrison) reached No. 71 in 1995. "I Know My Love" (credited to The Chieftains featuring The Corrs) reached No. 37 in 1999.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 104}}</ref>

Dr. Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin<ref>''Pocket History of Irish Traditional Music''. Dublin: The O'Brien Press, p. 155</ref> said the success of The Chieftains helped place Irish traditional music on a par with other musical genres in the world of popular entertainment. By collaborating with pop and rock musicians, they have taken Irish music to a much wider audience. They have become, in effect, musical ambassadors for Ireland. This de facto role was officially recognised by the Irish government in 1989 when it awarded the group the honorary title of Ireland's Musical Ambassadors.<ref name=JP06/>

==Notable performances== They played in a concert for Pope John Paul II, before an audience of more than one million people in 1979 in Phoenix Park in Dublin, to mark the Papal visit to Ireland.<ref name=JP06/>

In 1983, they were invited by the Chinese Government to perform with the Chinese Broadcasting Art Group in a concert on the Great Wall of China, becoming the first Western musical group to do so.<ref>{{cite news | last =Lannert | first = John| title = An Irish Tradition For 29 Years, The Chieftains Have Been Entertaining Audiences And Attracting The Admiration of Fellow Performers| work = Sun-Sentinel| date = 6 March 1992| url = http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-03-06/features/9201120378_1_paddy-moloney-chieftains-traditional-irish-music/3| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110601211448/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-03-06/features/9201120378_1_paddy-moloney-chieftains-traditional-irish-music/3| url-status = dead| archive-date = 1 June 2011| access-date =27 February 2011 }}</ref> They were the first group to perform in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., invited by Senator Edward Kennedy and the former Speaker of the House, Tip O'Neill.<ref name=JP06/>

In 2011, they performed at a concert in Dublin attended by President Mary McAleese and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain during her first-ever official trip to Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishcanadamag.com/component/content/article/23-2011-editions/70-queen-elizabeth-iis-historic-visit-a-century-in-the-making.html |title=Queen Elizabeth II's historic visit a century in the making |publisher=Irishcanadamag.com |access-date=14 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155508/http://www.irishcanadamag.com/component/content/article/23-2011-editions/70-queen-elizabeth-iis-historic-visit-a-century-in-the-making.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

On 14 April 2023, the band reunited for one last time to play for president Joe Biden, who was visiting his ancestral home of Ballina, County Mayo, in a historical tour of the Island.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/04/11/the-chieftains-to-reunite-one-last-time-for-biden-event-on-friday-in-ballina/ |title=The Chieftains to reunite one last time for Biden event on Friday in Ballina|publisher=Irishtimes.com |first=Ronan |last=McGreevy|date=11 April 2023 |access-date=14 April 2013 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Personnel== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}

; Former members * Paddy Moloney – uilleann pipes, tin whistle, button accordion, bodhrán (1962–2021; died 2021) * Seán Potts – tin whistle, bones, bodhrán (1962–1979; died 2014) * Michael Tubridy – flute, concertina, tin whistle (1962–1979) * David Fallon – bodhrán (1962–1966) * Martin Fay – fiddle, bones (1962–2002; died 2012) * Peadar Mercier – bodhrán, bones (1966–1976; died 1991) * Seán Keane – fiddle, tin whistle (1968–2013; occasional performances thereafter; died 2023) * Derek Bell – Irish harp, keyboard instruments, oboe (1975–2002; died 2002) * Ronnie McShane – bones, bodhrán (1975–1976; died 2017) * Kevin Conneff – bodhrán, vocals (1976–2023) * Matt Molloy – flute, tin whistle (1979–2023) {{col-2}} ; Touring musicians * Tim Edey – guitars, melodeon/button accordion, piano, backing vocals * Seamie O'Dowd – guitars, accordion (replacing Tim Edey when he is not touring?){{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} * Triona Marshall – keyboards, harp * Tara Breen – fiddle, saxophone, step dancing * Alyth McCormack – vocals, step dancing * Jon Pilatzke – fiddle, step dancing * Nathan Pilatzke – step dancing * Cara Butler – step dancing {{col-end}}

==Discography== {{listen|filename=|title=Redemption Song| description = The Chieftains and Ziggy Marley covering Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" |format=Ogg }} {{div col}} # ''The Chieftains'' (1964) # ''The Chieftains 2'' (1969) # ''The Chieftains 3'' (1971) # ''The Chieftains 4'' (1973) # ''The Chieftains 5'' (1975) # ''The Chieftains 6: Bonaparte's Retreat'' (1976) # ''The Chieftains 7'' (1977) # ''The Chieftains Live! '' (1977, live) # ''The Chieftains 8'' (1978) # ''The Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early'' (1979) # ''The Chieftains 10: Cotton-Eyed Joe'' (1980) # ''The Grey Fox'' (1982) (soundtrack to ''The Grey Fox'') # ''The Year of the French'' (1983, with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra) # ''The Chieftains in China'' (1985) # ''Ballad of the Irish Horse'' (1986) # ''Celtic Wedding'' (1987) # ''In Ireland'' (1987) (with James Galway) # ''Irish Heartbeat'' (1988) (with Van Morrison) # ''The Tailor of Gloucester'' (1988) (with Meryl Streep) # ''A Chieftains Celebration'' (1989) # ''Over the Sea To Skye: The Celtic Connection'' (1990) (with James Galway) # ''The Bells of Dublin'' (1991) # ''Reel Music: The Filmscores'' (1991) # ''Another Country'' (1992) # ''An Irish Evening'' (1992, live) # ''The Best of the Chieftains'' (1992, compilation) # ''Far and Away'' original motion picture soundtrack (with John Williams) (1992) # ''The Celtic Harp: A Tribute to Edward Bunting'' (1993) (with The Belfast Harp Orchestra) # ''The Long Black Veil'' (1995) # ''Film Cuts'' (1996) # ''Santiago'' (1996) # ''Long Journey Home'' (1998, with the Irish Film Orchestra and Elvis Costello) # ''Fire in the Kitchen'' (1998, compilation) # ''Silent Night: A Christmas in Rome'' (1998, live) # ''Tears of Stone'' (1999) # ''Water from the Well'' (2000) # ''The Wide World Over'' (2002, compilation) # ''Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions'' (2002) # ''Further Down the Old Plank Road'' (2003) # ''Live from Dublin: A Tribute to Derek Bell'' (2005, live) # ''The Essential Chieftains'' (2006, compilation) # ''San Patricio'' (2010) (with Ry Cooder) # ''Voice of Ages'' (2012) # ''Chronicles: 60 Years of The Chieftains'' (2021, compilation) # ''A Celtic Landscape'' (2021, compilation) # ''Bear’s Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt, The Chieftains Live in San Francisco 1973 & 1976'' (2022)<ref name="Facebook The Chieftains in San Francisco 1973 & 1976 announcement"/><ref name="owsleystanleyfoundation.org The Chieftains in San Francisco 1973 & 1976 announcement"/><ref>{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Broerman |date=September 1, 2022 |url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/features/the-chieftains-bears-sonic-journals-foxhunt/ |title=Ireland's The Chieftains Land on U.S. Soil in Latest 'Bear's Sonic Journals' Release |work=Live for Live Music |access-date=September 3, 2022}}</ref>

== Explanatory notes == {{Reflist|group=nb}}

== Citations == {{Reflist}}

==General sources== * {{cite book|last = Glatt|first = John|author-link = John Glatt|title = The Chieftains: The Authorized Biography|publisher = Da Capo|year = 1997|location = New York|isbn = 978-0-306-80922-4 |oclc=1148213653 |url-access = registration|url = https://archive.org/details/chieftainsauthor0000glat}}

==External links== {{commons category|The Chieftains}} * [http://www.thechieftains.com Official website] * [http://members.shaw.ca/chieftains/history.html Band history] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061114044611/http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/artist/content.artist/the_chieftains The Chieftains], National Geographic World Music (archived) * {{Discogs artist|The Chieftains}} * {{IMDb name|0157298}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chieftains, The}} Category:1960s in Irish music Category:1962 establishments in Ireland Category:1970s in Irish music Category:1980s in Irish music Category:1990s in Irish music Category:2000s in Irish music Category:2010s in Irish music Category:2020s in Irish music Category:Claddagh Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Irish Celtic music groups Category:Irish folk music groups Category:Irish-language musical groups Category:Island Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1962 Category:Musical groups from Dublin (city) Category:RCA Records artists Category:Van Morrison