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<p><img src="https://mlight.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c2c8b53ef00e5539276cb8834-320wi" alt="Moomin Light: &quot;Summerfly&quot; by Maura O'Connell (written by Cheryl Wheeler)"></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Maura O'Connell</strong> (born 16 September 1958) is an Irish singer. She is known for her contemporary interpretations of Irish folk songs, strongly influenced by American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">country music</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[1]</a></p><h2>Background</h2><p>O'Connell was born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ennis</a>, the main town in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Clare" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">County Clare</a>, in the west of Ireland. Born into a musical family, O'Connell was the third of four sisters. Her mother's family owned Costello's fish shop in Ennis where O'Connell worked until music became her full-time career. She grew up listening to her mother's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_opera" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">light opera</a>, opera, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlour_song" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">parlour song</a> records.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-Anne_21–25-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[2]</a> Her father's interest leaned towards the rebel ballads. Despite the presence of classical music in the house, O'Connell got very involved in the local folk club scene and together with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hanrahan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mike Hanrahan</a>, who later fronted trad/rock outfit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton%27s_Wing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stockton's Wing</a>, they performed a country music set, as a duo called 'Tumbleweed'.</p><p>O'Connell attended St Joseph's Secondary School in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Point,_County_Clare" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spanish Point</a> from 1971 to 1974, where she took part in the school choir. She was also part of the "Cúl Aodha Choir", led by Peadar Ó Riada, that sang at the funeral of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Clancy_(musician)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Willie Clancy</a> in 1973.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-Anne_21–25-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[2]</a></p><h2>Musical career</h2><h3>Solo career</h3><p>O'Connell began her professional musical journey during a six-week tour of the US in 1980, as vocalist for the traditionally-based Celtic group <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Dannan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">De Dannan</a>. The following year, she was featured on the band's landmark album, <em>The Star Spangled Molly</em>, (where she has the lead vocals on four tracks) which became something of a national phenomenon in her homeland.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-Anne_21–25-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[2]</a> However, not long after joining the group she became very interested in the experimental roots music of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">America</a>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Grass_Revival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Grass Revival</a> when the bands' paths crossed, and moved to the US in 1986, settling in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville,_Tennessee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nashville, Tennessee</a>. There she met <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrass" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">newgrass</a> pioneers <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_Fleck" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bela Fleck</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Douglas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jerry Douglas</a>, with whom she'd work on most of her records.</p><p>She recorded her first solo album in 1983, however, it didn't make any impact in Ireland or in the United States. O'Connell received a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grammy</a> nomination for her 1989 album, <em>Helpless Heart</em> (originally released in Ireland in 1987 as <em>Western Highway</em>), which was her first record released under <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros._Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Warner Bros. Records</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Real_Life_Story" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>A Real Life Story</em></a> (1991), and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Is_the_Colour_of_Hope" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Blue Is the Colour of Hope</em></a> (1992), registered a move toward a pop synthesis. O'Connell's versions of "Living in These Troubled Times" and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Wheeler" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheryl Wheeler</a>'s "Summerfly" became standout tracks on the 1993 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Woman%27s_Heart_(compilation_album)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Woman's Heart</a>, on four all-female overseas tours and on the 1994 follow-up album in her homeland. <em>A Woman's Heart Vol. 2</em> features her heartfelt renditions of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanci_Griffith" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nanci Griffith</a>'s "Trouble in the Fields" and Gerry O'Beirne's "Western Highway." After numerous album heavily inspired by American newgrass music, O'Connell returned to her Irish roots with the 1997 release, <em>Wandering Home</em>.</p><p>As the new millennium approached, O'Connell signed with the Sugar Hill label in late 2000 and began working on her seventh album. Instead of working with her longtime producer Jerry Douglas, O'Connell had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kennedy_(country_singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ray Kennedy</a> (who worked with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Earle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Steve Earle</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucinda_Williams" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lucinda Williams</a>) produce <em>Walls and Windows</em>, which was released in 2001, and featured an eclectic collection of songs, including work by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Richey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kim Richey</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Morrison" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Van Morrison</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Prine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">John Prine</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Clapton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eric Clapton</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Griffin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Patty Griffin</a>. Her 2004 album, <em>Don't I Know</em>, contained musical textures added by everything from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fiddles</a>, to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavinet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clavinets</a>, to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lap_steel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lap steel</a> and B-3 organ.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[3]</a></p><p>In 2009, Maura released her first a cappella album, <em>Naked With Friends</em>. Guest vocalists on the album included <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Black" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Black</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Brady" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paul Brady</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moya_Brennan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Moya Brennan</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Douglas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jerry Douglas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_Krauss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alison Krauss</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mair%C3%A9ad_N%C3%AD_Mhaonaigh" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_O%27Brien_(musician)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tim O'Brien</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dolly Parton</a>, Sarah Dugas, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Rusby" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kate Rusby</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_Scott" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Darrell Scott</a>. The album was nominated for a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grammy Award</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-Grammys-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[4]</a></p><p>In 2013 O'Connell announced the end of her solo career.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[5]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_O%27Connell#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[6]</a></p><h3>Other work</h3><p>In addition to her solo work, O'Connell has collaborated with a number of Celtic, folk, pop and country artists, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Morrison" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Van Morrison</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kennedy_(singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brian Kennedy</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moya_Brennan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Moya Brennan</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Black" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Black</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Prine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">John Prine</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Douglas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jerry Douglas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_O%27Brien_(musician)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tim O'Brien</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gorka" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">John Gorka</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_Fleck" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bela Fleck</a>,</p>