Formed in Finglas, Ireland in 1982, Aslan is a Celtic / alternative rock band founded by vocalist Christy Dignam, guitarist Joe Jewell, bassist Tony McGuinness, guitarist / keyboardist Billy McGuinness, and drummer Alan Downey. Their first release was the single “This Is,” which became a hit in the spring of 1986. The band’s live shows began to build a buzz in the industry and after signing with EMI Ireland, they released their debut album, Feel No Shame, in 1988. The album was an enormous hit and rose to Number 1 on the Irish Albums chart. However, tensions within the group led to vocalist Christy Dignam leaving the group and the remainder of the band eventually split up in 1989. The members of Aslan pursued other musical projects before coming back together in 1993. Their second album, Goodbye Charlie Moonhead, was released in 1994 and also reached the Number 1 position on the album charts. The album included the hit singles “Crazy World” and “Where's the Sun?” Aslan continued to release a series of successful albums including Here Comes Lucy Jones (Number 14 in 1997), Made in Dublin – Live at Vicar Street (Number 1 in 1999), Waiting for This Madness to End... (Number 1 in 2001), For Some Strange Reason (Number 7 in 2007), Uncase'd (Number 2 in 2009) and Nudie Books and Frenchies (Number 1 in 2012). The group also released the Number 1-charting compilation album Shame About Lucy Moonhead: The Best of Aslan in 1998. Celebrating their three decades since their debut album, the group released Feel No Shame: 30th Anniversary in 2018. Vocalist and band leader Christy Dignam had suffered with serious health problems over the years and underwent chemotherapy and palliative care treatment. He died on June 13, 2023, at the age of 63.
