Issue of the day: The Corrs’ star’s mask controversy

A Sa family music group, performing pop with a traditional Irish twist, The Corrs have never been anything remotely close to controversial. But now the band are in the headlines for the “anti-mask” views of one of their members.

The Corrs?

The group, from Dundalk in Louth, Ireland, are known for their pop tunes infused with an Irish theme. From seven albums, their biggest hits include Runaway, I Never Loved You Anyway and What Can I Do?

Global stars?

With their biggest successes in the 1990s and early 2000s, the band is one of only a handful who have held the top two spots simultaneously in the UK album charts, with Talk On Corners at No 1 and Forgiven, Not Forgotten at No 2. Their third album In Blue reached No 1 in 17 countries.

So who is hitting the headlines? Big brother Jim Corr is the 55-year-old musician, singer and songwriter who, along with his three younger sisters, violinist Sharon, drummer Caroline and front woman Andrea, make up The Corrs.

What’s he said?

He has been using his social media to vent against the new legislation in force in swathes of the world for people to wear face masks in certain situations, such as shopping in stores, as part of the global effort to stem the tide of the pandemic. He is also vocal about “mandatory vaccines”.

Examples?

Some of his posts include “Masks are about keeping the fear alive until the vaccine arrives”,

“Masks stop viruses in their tracks, in the same way underpants stop farts” and, posting an image of a person in a visor mask, he wrote: “Those who tell ‘conspiracy theorists’ to take off their tinfoil hats are now wearing this”.

Also?

He tweeted: “It has always been about eventually holding you at ‘syringe-point’ and forcing you to take a toxic vaccine so you can have your freedom back” and “Lockdown, healthy people wearing masks, etc, was never necessary for a virus with .2% mortality same as seasonal flu...”, but big government absolutely loves exercising that power and control over you...”

He has been vocal about his conspiracy theories before?

In 2011, he told Ireland’s The Saturday Night Show about his beliefs that the truth about the September 11 terrorist attacks was being suppressed and that swine flu may have been man-made.

The rest of The Corrs?

They have remained quiet about such subjects, but Jim has been heavily criticised elsewhere, with one tweeter saying: “Ironically, Jim Corr is the only member of the band who would look better with a face mask.”

What are the band up to now? Their last album, Jupiter Calling, came out in 2017 and in a note on their Instagram in October 2018 Andrea Corr said that “though we take our time considering, we are not finished”, so it seems more Corrs music lies ahead.