The four were primarily vocalists, though Makem was an accomplished banjo and tin whistle player, and Liam played guitar. Pat would sometimes play harmonica. Nevertheless, they often were accompanied by other musicians (notably Pete Seeger on several occasions). They began playing at small clubs in Greenwich Village, but as their popularity grew so did their venues. In 1961 they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, two years later they performed for President John F. Kennedy at the White House. By 1962 they played Carnegie Hall. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem recorded more than 50 albums together, starting with The Rising of the Moon (also known as Irish Songs of Rebellion) in 1956. In 1975 the band split up. |
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