Mary’s 60s revival
Music with Eddie Rowley
WITH a voice of pure gold and a story of struggle as a single mum, Mary Byrne took The X Factor by storm seven years ago.
At first, the millions of viewers who tuned into the show were immediately captivated by the power in Mary’s voice on her first audition.
They fell in love with the Tesco checkout worker from Dublin’s Ballyfermot as they engaged with Mary’s personal battle to overcome her insecurities and learned about her heartbreaks in life.
Most of all, though, Mary’s new-found fans in Ireland and Britain were inspired by her determination to banish her blues and doubts, and make the most of the opportunity The X Factor offered to launch her singing career.
In the end, Mary went out in the semi-final, with Matt Cardle winning the 2010 series… and One Direction emerging runners-up!
Since then, Mary has gone on to enjoy a successful career as a singer and entertainer, with highlights including a guest performance supporting the legendary Neil Diamond at the Aviva Stadium, and a star role as ‘Teen Angel’ in Grease The Musical.
She even sang for the Queen of England!
Mary also published a bestselling autobiography, This Is My Life, revealing the remarkable untold story of her tough but fascinating journey before The X Factor. Currently a leader on the RTE show, Celebrity Operation Transformation, she continues her glittering music career with the launch of a new album, Mary Byrne Sings The 60s, featuring classics like ‘ Downtown’, ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ and the first single, ‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself ’, a Dusty Springfield classic and one of her all-time favourites.
Other highlights include duets with Irish singer John McNicholl on ‘Dream Lover’ and ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’.