Paddy Keenan

Paddy Keenan is an Irish player of the uilleann pipes who first gained fame as a founding member of The Bothy Band. Since that groups dissolution in the late 1970s, Keenan has released a number of solo and collaborative recordings, and continues to tour both as a soloist, and with singerguitarist Tommy OSullivan.

Paddy Keenan was born in Trim, County Meath in 1950 to John Keenan and Mary Bravender Keenan . Though the Keenan family abandoned the Traveling lifestyle early in Paddys life, he spent much of his youth contending with discrimination, including regular physical confrontations. His father and grandfather both played the pipes, and his father spent many nights playing along with piper Johnny Doran. Paddy was introduced to the tin whistle by his brother Johnny Keenan around age six, and began playing the pipes around age nine. Recognizing his sons interest, John Keenan tutored Paddy, along with neighboring children including Finbar Furey and Davy Spillane. During this period, the Keenan household was, de facto, an ongoing session. At age 14, Paddy played his first major concert at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, followed by a few years of touring with a number of musicians, including his father, as The Pavees. At 17, attempting to escape the strictness of his fathers household, Paddy went

Source: Wikipedia