The Corrs
are a Celtic folk rock group from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle); Sharon (violin, vocals); Caroline (drums, percussion, bodhrán, vocals); and Jim (guitar, keyboards, vocals).
The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia and their support of Celine Dion on her 1996 Falling into You Tour. Since then, they have released five studio albums and numerous singles, which have reached platinum in many countries. [1] Talk on Corners
, their most successful album to date, reached multi-platinum status in Australia and the UK. [2]
The Corrs have been actively involved in philanthropic activities. They have performed in numerous charity concerts such as the Prince's Trust in 2004 and Live 8 alongside Bono in 2005. The same year, they were awarded honorary MBEs for their contributions to music and charity. [3] The Corrs are on hiatus because Sharon, Jim, and Caroline are raising families, while Andrea is pursuing a solo career.
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THE CORRS TICKETS
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History
Early years
The Corrs' parents are Gerry Corr, a manager of the payroll department of the Irish
Electricity Supply Board, and his wife, Jean, a
homemaker, who died in 1999 while waiting for a
lung transplant.
[4] They raised their family in Dundalk, Ireland. Gerry and Jean performed together as a band called Sound Affair, and often brought their children to their performances,
[5] where they played songs by
ABBA and the
Eagles in local pubs.
[6]
With the encouragement of their parents, Jim took guitar lessons, Sharon played the violin, Caroline studied the drums, and Andrea took up the tin whistle.
[7] They were also taught the
piano by their father.
Throughout their teenage years, the children would practice in Jim's bedroom at a rented house. Andrea sang lead vocals, Sharon played the violin, and Caroline and Jim played the keyboards.
[8]
1990–1994: Early commercial success
While Caroline and Andrea were still attending school, Jim and Sharon began playing as a duo, often at their aunt's pub,
McManus's
.
[9] In 1990, Jim and Sharon added their younger siblings to their existing duo, to form a
quartet.
Their career took off in 1991 when they auditioned for the film
The Commitments
. Jim, Sharon, and Caroline each had small parts as musicians, while Andrea had a speaking part as Sharon Rabbitte.
[10] John Hughes noticed them when they auditioned for the movie, and agreed to become their manager.
[11]
In 1994, the American ambassador to Ireland,
Jean Kennedy Smith, invited them to perform at the
1994 FIFA World Cup in
Boston after seeing them play a gig at Whealans Music Bar in
Dublin.
After an appearance at the
1996 Summer Olympics in
Atlanta, Georgia, United States,
[12] The Corrs joined
Celine Dion's worldwide
Falling into You Tour
as a supporting act.
[13]
1995 — 1999: International fame
Jason Flom,
Atlantic Records' vice director and producer, recommended that they meet with
David Foster,
[14] a Canadian musician,
producer,
composer and
arranger.
[15] The Corrs played live for Foster and he agreed to sign them to Atlantic Records. They extended their stay in the US for over five months to record their debut album,
Forgiven, Not Forgotten
.
[16]
Forgiven, Not Forgotten
featured six instrumental selections among its Celtic-influenced tracks. The album sold well in Ireland, Australia, Japan, Norway and Spain. Major success in the US and the UK, however, was not immediately forthcoming. Eventually, the album reached
platinum status in the UK
[17] and Australia,
[18] and quadruple platinum in Ireland,
making it one of the most successful debuts by an Irish group.
The Corrs' next album, 1997's
Talk On Corners
, was produced by
Glen Ballard, who was respected for his collaboration with
Alanis Morissette.
[19] The Corrs also collaborated with
Carole Bayer Sager, Oliver Leiber,
Rick Nowels, and Billy Steinberg.
[20] [21] The album met with lukewarm responses and was only successful in Ireland.
The Corrs performed a special remixed version of the tracks from their first two albums in a televised
St. Patrick's Day appearance at London's
Royal Albert Hall in 1998. After the performance, the band re-released
Talk on Corners
, with new remixes of "What Can I Do?", "
So Young" and "
Runaway".
The special edition topped the charts worldwide, and again reached multi-platinum status in the UK
[22] and Australia.
[23]
In June 1998, The Corrs participated in the
Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia
charity concert. The concert was held in
Modena, Italy and was hosted by
Luciano Pavarotti. Other performers included
Jon Bon Jovi,
Céline Dion,
Spice Girls and
Stevie Wonder.
[24] The concert aimed to raise money to build the Pavarotti and Friends Liberian Children's Village, to provide refuge for children in
Liberia.
[25]
The following year, The Corrs received a
BRIT Award for
Best International Band
.
[26] They performed live on
MTV's Unplugged on 5 October 1999 at
Ardmore Studios,
Co. Wicklow,
Ireland.
[27] [28] The resulting CD and DVD sold 2.7 million copies and featured live performances of previously released songs, plus a new song, "
Radio", later featured on their third album,
In Blue
.
2000–2002: Mainstream success
In 2000, The Corrs returned to mainstream success with their third album. Unlike their previous albums,
In Blue
moved towards mainstream
pop. This move attracted criticism from many; one
Entertainment Weekly
critic called it "a disheartening example of musical ethnic cleansing".
Despite this,
In Blue
hit number one in its first sales week in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and debuted at #2 in France and Norway. It climbed to the top spot during its second week in Sweden and Spain.
[29]
The Corrs worked with
Alejandro Sanz on
In Blue
, recording "Una Noche (One Night)", a duet between Sanz and Andrea Corr; Sanz played Andrea's love interest in the music video. In return, The Corrs performed "Me Iré (The Hardest Day)" with him on his album,
El Alma Al Aire
.
[30] The Corrs collaborated with
Robert Lange [31] to produce a mainstream hit single, "
Breathless", which reached number 34 in the
Billboard Hot 100,
[32] number seven in Australia,
[33] number three in Ireland
[34] and New Zealand,
[35] and topped the charts in the UK.
The album went straight to number one in the
Irish Albums Chart, the third highest single-week sales in the history of the charts, behind
U2’s
The Best of 1980-1990
and
Oasis'
Be Here Now
.
[36] In Blue
achieved platinum sales in the US,
[37] double platinum in the UK,
[38] and quadruple platinum in Australia.
[39]
During the production of the album, the Corrs' mother, Jean, died while waiting for a lung transplant.
[40] She was laid to rest at St. Patrick's cemetery in
Dundalk, and Bono,
Larry Mullen,
Brian Kennedy and
Paul Brady were among the congregation at the funeral.
[41] "No More Cry", written by Andrea and Caroline Corr for the album, was written to help their father get over his grief.
[42]
In 2001, The Corrs released their first
compilation album,
Best of The Corrs
. The album featured previously released songs and new tracks, such as the singles "
Would You Be Happier", "Make You Mine" and "Lifting Me".
[43] The album did not chart highly in Ireland but reached platinum status in Australia.
[44] The Corrs collaborated with
Josh Groban, recording
Canto Alla Vita
, for his
eponymous debut album.
[45] [46]
When the band returned to Ireland, they hosted another live concert at
Ardmore Studios, where they previously performed for the
MTV's
Unplugged series.
Guest performers included Bono from
U2 and
Ronnie Wood from the
Rolling Stones. During the concert, Bono joined Andrea Corr for a duet of
Nancy Sinatra's "
Summer Wine" and a performance of
Ryan Adams' "
When the Stars Go Blue". Ronnie Wood joined the band onstage to play guitar on their version of
Jimi Hendrix's "
Little Wing" and the Rolling Stones' "
Ruby Tuesday".
[47] These performances were recorded and compiled on a
live album,
VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin
, which was released in the UK.
[48]
2003-2005: Later Years
In 2003, Andrea Corr recorded "Time Enough For Tears", written by Bono and
Gavin Friday [49] for the film
In America
.
[50] This track was featured on The Corrs' 2004 album,
Borrowed Heaven
. Recorded over an 18-month period in Dublin and Los Angeles,
Borrowed Heaven
was produced by
Olle Romo, who previously worked with
Melanie C and
Kelly Clarkson.
[51] The album marked The Corrs' return to the
folk rock genre with a slightly heavier emphasis on guitars.
[52] Nevertheless, the album was not as successful as their predecessors, but at least successfully enough to enter at No.2 in both the UK and Germany and reach
silver status in the UK as well as gold in Germany.
[53] Jason Duffy temporarily joined the band as drummer,
[54] filling in for Caroline while she was pregnant with her second child and unable to tour.
[55] Borrowed Heaven
was dedicated to the band's parents.
[56]
The band also dedicated their 2005 album
Home
to their deceased mother.
[57] It is regarded a traditional Irish album as the band
covered traditional Irish songs
[58] taken from their mother's songbook to commemorate their 15 years as a band.
[59] The album was produced by
Mitchell Froom and featured the BBC Radio 2 Orchestra.
[60] The songs on
Home
spanned the history of Irish music.
It also included two songs in Irish, "Bríd Óg Ní Mháille (Bridget O'Malley)" and "Buachaill Ón Éirne (Boy from Lough Erne)".
[61] Home
had success in Ireland, France (reaching #5) and Germany (reaching #12) and was certified silver in the UK.
[62]
2006–present: Children and a solo career
The Corrs have been on hiatus since 2006.
[63] Sharon, Jim, and Caroline are raising their own families while Andrea pursues a solo career.
[64] Sharon married Gavin Bonnar, a
Belfast barrister, on 7 July 2001.
[65] Since then, they have had two children, Cathal Robert Gerard
[66] and Flori Jean Elizabeth.
[67] Jim's child, Brandon, was born in 2006 to Gayle Williamson, his ex-fiancé and a former
Miss Northern Ireland.
[68] Caroline married Frank Woods, a property developer in
Majorca, Spain on 22 August 2002.
[69] They have three children, Jake, Georgina and Rihann.
[70] [71] Andrea released her first solo album,
Ten Feet High
, on 25 June 2007. It was produced by
Nellee Hooper, who has worked with
Gwen Stefani and
Madonna; Bono was an
executive producer.
[72] The first single released from the album was "
Shame on You (to Keep My Love from Me)".
The Corrs released their second
compilation album,
Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection
, on 20 November 2006. The album consisted of several of the band's hits, as well as tracks that had not previously been released on Corrs albums, such as "I Know My Love", a collaboration with
The Chieftains, and "All I Have To Do Is Dream", Andrea's duet with
Laurent Voulzy. The album also featured remixes of "When The Stars Go Blue" and "Goodbye". The latter was released as a download-only single to promote the album. However, the album charted poorly, reaching number 24 in Ireland.
On 25 September 2007, The Corrs released another compilation album,
The Works
. The album consists of three CDs that feature previously released songs. It performed worse than its predecessor, failing to chart at all.
Musical style and influence
When asked to describe their genre,
Caroline Corr said it was a "blend of modern rhythms and technology with acoustic instruments, violin, tin whistle, drums, and of course the voices, the marrying of these instruments is our sound".
[73] The Corrs' music is typically categorised as
folk rock. This is evident in their first two albums,
Forgiven Not Forgotten
and
Talk on Corners
, although Andrea described the genre of
Talk on Corners
by saying "it [has] got more of an edgy feel, a little bit more guitar-orientated and also an Irish sound, which is in
Forgiven, Not Forgotten
."
[74]
In Blue
moved to towards mainstream pop, placing heavy emphasis on
synthesisers.
The move attracted criticism from many; one
Entertainment Weekly
critic called it "a disheartening example of musical ethnic cleansing".
However, a
USA Today
critic called it "the best mainstream pop album you're likely to come across".
[75]
Borrowed Heaven
placed heavier emphasis on guitars, while retaining the original folk rock genre.
is a traditional Irish album, where the band
covered many traditional Irish songs.
The album contained songs from different eras of Irish music. It included a 1,000-year-old song called "Return to Fingal" and "Old Town", a 1982 song written by the late
Phil Lynott.
The Corrs' main influences were their parents who were musicians
[76] and encouraged them to learn instruments.
They drew inspiration from musicians such as
The Eagles,
The Police,
The Carpenters,
Simon and Garfunkel and
Fleetwood Mac,
which Sharon said in an interview with
CNN is the reason "our songs are very, very melodic and [harmonious]".
Philanthropy
The Corrs have been active in supporting charitable and philanthropic causes and disaster relief. In 1996, the Corrs participated in the
Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia
charity concert. The concert was held in
Modena, Italy and was hosted by
Luciano Pavarotti.
[77] Among the other participating artists were
Jon Bon Jovi,
Natalie Cole,
Pino Daniele,
Céline Dion,
Florent Pagny,
Eros Ramazzotti,
Spice Girls,
Vanessa L. Williams,
Stevie Wonder,
Trisha Yearwood and Zucchero.
The concert raised money that was used to build the Pavarotti and Friends Liberian Children's Village and to provide a refuge for orphans in
Liberia during the
civil war.
The Corrs, along with
Sinéad O'Connor,
Van Morrison,
Boyzone,
U2 and
Enya held a charity concert in 1998, to raise money for the victims of the
Omagh bombing in
Northern Ireland.
[79]
The Corrs' mother, Jean, died in
Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, England.
The Corrs showed their appreciation to the hospital by performing a one-off charity concert, held in 2001 at the
Telewest Arena; it raised more than £100,000.
[80] The money was used to extend the William Leech Centre of the hospital, which is dedicated to research into lung treatment.
[81] The city of Newcastle presented them a limited edition painting of Tyneside's quayside in return.
[82]
The Corrs' played at a 2004 charity concert for
The Prince's Trust, a UK-based charity that provides help, training, financial, and practical support to UK citizens aged between 14 and 30.
[83] They performed with
Will Young,
Blue,
Avril Lavigne,
Lenny Kravitz,
Busted,
Anastacia,
Nelly Furtado,
Sugababes and
Natasha Bedingfield and raised more than £1 million.
[84] [85]
They are ambassadors for the
Nelson Mandela's "
46664" campaign, where they performed live to raise awareness towards
AIDS in Africa.
[86] The concert was held on 29 November 2003 in
Cape Town, South Africa. The concert aimed to "[raise] awareness of HIV in South Africa and launched the 46664 campaign" and the money raised was donated to the
Nelson Mandela Foundation for Aids
.
[87] During the Edinburgh
Live 8 on 2 July 2005, the Corrs performed "
When the Stars Go Blue" alongside Bono to promote the
Make Poverty History campaign,
[88] which aimed to increase awareness and pressure governments into taking actions towards relieving
absolute poverty.
In recognition of their charity work, the Corrs were made honorary Members of the
Order of the British Empire in 2005 by
Queen Elizabeth II.
[89]
Personnel
The Corrs are four siblings: Andrea Corr (lead vocals,
tin whistle); Sharon Corr (violin, vocals); Caroline Corr (drums,
bodhrán, vocals); and Jim Corr (guitar, keyboards, vocals). After the release of Forgiven Not Forgotten in late 1995, Anto Drennan (lead guitar) and Keith Duffy (bass) joined the lineup for their first national tour of Ireland. Both Drennan and Duffy subsequently became permanent members of the touring ensemble and all subsequent recordings. Due to Caroline Corr's absence due to pregnancy for much of their 2004 Borrowed Heaven tour, Jason Duffy (brother of bass player Keith) was the replacement drummer.
They had numerous producers working for their albums, using differing styles. For
Forgiven, Not Forgotten they enlisted
David Foster.
They recruited
Glen Ballard to produce
Talk on Corners.
Mutt Lange produced
In Blue, Olle Romo produced
Borrowed Heaven, and
Home was produced by
Mitchell Froom who also produced
The Corrs Unplugged.
Discography
Albums
- 1995: Forgiven Not Forgotten
- 1997: Talk on Corners
- 2000: In Blue
- 2004: Borrowed Heaven
- 2005: Home
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Compilation albums
- 2001: Best of The Corrs
- 2006: Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection
- 2007: The Works
Live albums
- 1997: The Corrs - Live
- 1999: The Corrs Unplugged
- 2002: VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin
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Awards
Many of the Corrs' songs have charted at #1 in numerous countries. They won one
BRIT Award, in 1999,
[90] and have twice been nominated for
Meteor Music Awards, in 2005
[91] and 2006.
[92]
See also
- Music of Ireland
- List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
References
- World Chart Positions. acharts.us. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
- UK Searchable Charts Database. everyhit.com. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
- Honorary MBEs awarded to the Corrs
- The Corrs biography - Contemporary Musicians
- The Corrs
- The Corrs
- The Corrs lyrics and biography
- The Corrs
- The Corrs
- The Commitments' Official Website
- The Biography Channel - The Corrs biography
- The Corrs
- The Corrs on MSN Music
- The Corrs pics
- David Foster Current Biography
- The Corrs biography
- ''Forgiven, Not Forgotten'' UK Certification. The BPI. 15 January 1999. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- ''Forgiven, Not Forgotten'' Australian Certification. ARIA. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- "Transcript: Profiles of Alanis Morissette, Margaret Cho". CNN ''People in the News''. 4 January 2003.
- The Corrs Biography
- The Corrs biography
- ''Talk on Corners'' UK Certification. The BPI. 1 April 1999. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- ''Talk on Corners'' Australian Certification. ARIA. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- iClassics
- Ally McBeal star sued by real life lawyers
- The Songs of the Corrs
- The Corrs - Unplugged: DVD: The Corrs
- The Corrs Unplugged (2000) (V)
- The Corrs Eye U.S. Success
- Alejandro Sanz biography
- Mutt Lange
- U.S. Singles Charts. Allmusic. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- Australian Chart Positions. australian-charts.com. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
- Irish Singles Chart Searchable Database. The Irish Charts: All There is to Know. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
- New Zealand Chart Positions. charts.org.na. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
- Corrs, tops in eight countries
- RIAA Searchable Database. RIAA. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- ''In Blue'' UK Certification. The BPI. 17 November 2000. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- ''In Blue'' Australian Certification. ARIA. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- Stars of music world gather to mourn with the Corr family
- Corrs share grief as mother is buried
- Corrs' main frame
- Best of the Corrs: Music: Best of the Corrs
- ''Best of The Corrs'' Australian Certification. ARIA. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- Josh Groban - Biography
- Great Performances - Josh Groban in Concert - Singing Sensations
- Corrs concert' glittering cast
- VH1 Presents The Corrs Live in Dublin: Music: The Corrs
- Bono & Gavin Friday: "Time Enough for Tears"
- In America (2002)
- 'Borrowed Heaven' set to bring 'Summer Sunshine' for the Corrs
- The Corrs: Borrowed Heaven
- ''Borrowed Heaven'' UK Certification. The BPI. 4 June 2004. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- Planet Corr - Biography
- Caroline drums up delight over pregnancy
- The Corrs & Heaven 'Borrowed Heaven' album
- The Corrs's album 'Home'
- Corrs make a return to Fingal
- The Corrs: Home
- Corrs Home CD
- Music Review:The Corrs' Home
- ''Home'' UK Certification. The BPI. 7 October 2005. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
- No new material planned for The Corrs
- Andrea Corr goes solo
- Sharon Corr & Gavin Bonnar Wedding
- Baby Girl for Sharon Corr
- The Corr's Main Frame
- Jim Corr and fiance welcome a son
- Home reception set for the Corrs
- Caroline Corr welcomes a daughter
- The Corr's Official Website
- Andrea's New Album
- The Corrs - Borrowed Heaven
- CNN - 'Talk on Corners' reveals Irish band The Corrs
- The Corrs
- Irish siblings take Britain, world by storm
- Meyer Sound News: Good Sound for a Good Cause - Pavarotti and Friends Charity Concert
- Pavarotti & Friends For The Children Of Liberia
- Madonna pens bedtime story for charity
- The Corrs News on Yahoo
- Corrs to perform concert for dead mum
- City honors the Corrs
- The Prince's Trust
- HRH attends the seventh Party in the Park in aid of The Prince's Trust
- Corrs left breathless over MBE honor
- 46664 - 1 minute for AIDS in South Africa
- Live Aid's legacy of charity concerts
- Live 8 Concert
- Award of Honorary MBE to the Corrs
- The Brit Awards
- Meteor Music Awards nominations announced
- Meteor Music Awards nominations announced