Chart topper Paul set for local stage
HE has been playing music and singing with his father Seán Molloy for the past 30 years, and finally, Gorey’s Paul Molloy has released his first single, and it is taking the country music charts by storm.
‘Heartbroke’ has been number one in the South East country music popularity charts for the past two weeks, and the video has attracted over 50,000 views on YouTube. It has been played on Tony Kehoe’s music show on South East Radio, on local radio stations across the country, on Keep it Country TV, on UK radio, and also Ellen Degeneres’ Ellen Nation website in the USA.
‘It’s going from strength to strength,’ said a delighted Paul, (42), who is originally from Ballyleacy and now lives in Ballyminaun.
He works on the CE scheme with Ballycanew Tidy Towns. ‘As part of the CE scheme, I had to do some training,’ he explained. ‘I said I would do vocal coaching with Deirdre Masterson and Ceol Loch Garman.’
‘I always wanted to be on the same stage as the likes of Mike Denver and Jimmy Buckley,’ he added. ‘I went to the South East Country Festival last year and saw a band called The Conquerors. They’re fabulous musicians. I saw all going on at the festival and said “I want to be part of that”.’
The Conquerors are a leading wedding band and also play backing to country musicians. Paul discovered they had links with the Greenfields Recording Studio in Headford, Co Galway, and he soon booked a recording session there.
With the help of Gerard O’Donoghue at Greenfields, Paul picked ‘Heartbroke’, a Ricky Skaggs hit from the early 1980s as his debut single.
He then shot a video for it in at the Watchhouse Hill in Ballycanew, at Wexford Arts Centre, and also at his home.
The song is available for download on iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Play, and Spotify.
Paul will give the first performance of ‘Heartbroke’ at a country music night in The Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, from 9.30 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. The line up includes dancing to Seán Molloy and Kevin Mulhall; Lar Kenny and Jimmy Hogan; and finishing with Paul Molloy and his Country Band. Tickets are €10, and are available on the door, or from the Ballycanew CE office. Proceeds go to Ballycanew Tidy Towns.