Thomas Makem, known professionally as Tommy Makem, born on November 4, 1932, in Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, was an Irish folk musician, artist, poet, and storyteller. He began singing in St. Patrick's church choir at eight years old, performing with the choir for fifteen years. He emigrated to the United States in 1955, settling in Dover, New Hampshire, and later moved to New York to pursue acting. In 1961, he signed with Columbia Records alongside the Clancy Brothers. The group performed at prominent venues like Carnegie Hall and on television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show, releasing several albums including Isn't It Grand Boys (1966), which reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart in April 1966. Makem released several solo albums during his career, including his debut Songs of Tommy Makem (1961), followed by Tommy Makem Sings Tommy Makem (1968) and In the Dark Green Wood (1969). He left the group in 1969 to pursue a solo career, later collaborating with Liam Clancy as Makem and Clancy throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Makem returned to settled life in Dover in 1972, where he died of lung cancer on August 1, 2007. Posthumous releases of his music include the compilation Legendary Tommy Makem Collection (2007).
