Founder of legendary Irish traditional outfit The Chieftains, Paddy Moloney has passed away at the age of 83.
A frequent visitor to the island on tours over the decades, Moloney and The Chieftains were a trailblazing attraction in their respective genre, influencing many of our finest.
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Numerous Newfoundlanders and Labradorians commented via social media on the passing of Moloney:
ALAN DOYLE
Sad news. Oh the musical circles this man connected. The doors he opened for so many, including me and all the GBS lads. Much Love to all the @thechieftains family and fans. Cheers Paddy.
SEAMUS O’REGAN
One of the greatest albums. What a contribution Paddy Moloney made to Irish music and to music in general. May he Rest In Peace.
BOB HALLETT
Sad to hear that Paddy Maloney passed away earlier today. Paddy was one of the most creative people I’ve ever met, and did more for traditional music than any of us know. He was a tiny man, but his energy & humour filled every room he entered.
TOM POWER
Incredibly sad one here. Paddy Moloney changed Irish music and made it accessible to so many people all over the world. Those early Chieftains records had a tremendous impact on me, and I went to see them every chance I had. Rest in peace, Paddy.
MARK CRITCH
Huge loss for anyone who ever loved traditional music. Paddy Maloney of @thechieftainsofficial My heart goes out to the brilliantly talented and wonderful @cb_stepcrew and the whole Chieftains family. Also @alanthomasdoyle and the GBS a family.
Via The Chieftains official website:
Since 1962 they have been six-time Grammy Award winners and been highly recognized for reinventing traditional Irish music on a contemporary and International scale. Their ability to transcend musical boundaries to blend tradition with modern music has notably hailed them as one of the most renowned and revered musical groups to this day.
As cultural ambassadors, their performances have been linked with seminal historic events, such as being the first Western musicians to perform on the Great Wall of China, participating in Roger Water’s “The Wall” performance in Berlin in 1990, and being the first ensemble to perform a concert in the Capitol Building in Washington DC.
In 2010, their experimental collaborations extended to out of this world, when Paddy Moloney’s whistle and Matt Molloy’s flute travelled with NASA astronaut, Cady Coleman, to the international space station.