Artists
who's who and who's doing what?Tommy Fleming
- country:Ireland
- style(s):Irish Traditional
- label:Clann Records
- artist submitted by:
TOMMY FLEMING
If there were a way, to describe Tommy Fleming's voice it would have to say he is a powerful operatic bell canto tenor, capable of dynamic crescendos, or in other words he sings heartbroken ballads, traditional and contemporary classics, alike. As one critic said "When Tommy Fleming sings a song he puts his entire heart and soul into it, uniquely stamping it as his." Fleming, an affable 30 year old Sligo native, openly admits its not opera, it's not rock & roll. "In fact, I'm not really traditional, I'm just a singer who loves a song with a good story".
In the early summer of 1996 Tommy contacted Seoirse MacAnna of SMA Ireland, a boutique artist career development and management company, seeking career direction, development and management. After some months of discussing the musical direction, and path SMA proposed for Tommy and Tommy agreeing in November 1996 SMA accepted Tommy on to their artist roster. I997 seen Tommy going into the studio to record his first studio recorded solo album entitled "Restless Spirit" produced by Arty McG1ynn and Rod McVey. In "Restless Spirit" Tommy deliberately moved away from that which the industry had expected from him. Going for a more contemporary sound and pooling songs from mainly American and British writers; Jon Gorka, Lowen and Navvarro, Clifford T Ward and Multi-Grammy award winner Diane Warren. Songs such as "Through a Childs Eyes" and "The Best is yet to Come" are just two examples of Tommy at his very best in which he emotes in a brooding tremulous voice. The melancholy in these songs resonates with listeners of all ages.
The release of "Restless Sprit" in October was followed by an Irish tour, but regrettably the tour was to be tragically cut short by a serious car accident which left Tommy with a broken neck and immobilised, a subject which Tommy is not comfortable talking about, "I'm just grateful to be alive and back to full health I just don't think it's healthy to dwell on these things, you're much better to move on". And move on he did, just as Tommy moved on so did "Restless Spirit", achieving Double Platinum status!!
Responding to the never-ending requests from his army of fans and the direction of his management Tommy returned to his roots. In August 1999 he teamed up with close friend David Hayes to produce his second studio album "The Contender". Recording an album entirely selected from a wealth of both old and new traditional Irish Classic and contemporary songs. Tommy leveraged off the talents of Irish writers such as Jimmy McCarthy, Christy Hennessey and John Hurley (who wrote the title track to the previous album, "Restless Spirit") for modern Irish songs and that of old classics like Hard Times, The Water is Wide and a unique version of "Danny Boy". In April 2000 "The Contender" entered the Irish charts at no 3 and went on to achieve Multi Platinum Status.
Tommy has previously toured extensively in, Australia and Europe with De Dannan and completed two hugely successful tours of the U.S. in 93 and 96 with Derry born pianist Phil Coulter, culminating in memorable performances in the Symphony Hall Boston and New York's Carnegie Hall. The Contender album released 2000 brought Tommy, as a solo artist, into a new territory; Japan, where a tour followed in August 2000 and, Holland in September 2000 plus an Irish tour in Oct/Nov. During the Irish tour he was invited by the Irish Presidents Office to perform for President Mossavini (President of Uganda) and President Mary McAleese at a state function in Dublin Castle.
This month, August 2005, after many years of hard work by SMA and Tommy American PBS TV rolled out a coast to coast, state by state broadcast of a Tommy special. The city gates are about to open.
October 2005 will see the release of a new live album recorded by Tommy at the National Event Centre Killarney on the Clann Label entitled In Concert
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