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Bill Whelan, (born May 22, 1950) is the Irish composer who was asked to compose a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The end result, Riverdance, was a seven-minute display of traditional Irish dancing that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze for Irish dancing and celtic music.

[edit] Biography

Whelan is a native of Limerick, and was educated at Crescent College, University College Dublin and the King's Inns. He worked as a pianist for The Waterboys during their Fisherman's Blues sessions. His work appears on a bonus track on the reissued compact disc.

[edit] Musical career - excerpts

Whelan's lifetime of musical endeavours include:

• 1950 Bill Whelan born in Limerick.
• 1970 Composes score for the film Bloomfield.
• 1978 Member of the jazz-rock band Stacc, who release a single on CBS.
• 1979 Joins Planxty on keyboards.
• 1981 Timedance, composed by Whelan and Donal Lunny, and performed by Planxty, features in the interval of Eurovision. Timedance released as a Planxty record.
• 1983 Whelan produces 'The Refugee' on the U2 album War.
• 1984 Film score for Lamb, with Van Morrison
• 1987 Composes The O'Riada Suite.
• 1989 Joins board of Irish Music Rights Organization(IMRO), on which he serves continuously until 1997.
• 1992 Commissioned to compose The Seville Suite. Produces and plays keyboards on the Andy Irvine (musician)/Davy Spillane album East West.
• 1993 Composes the orchestral work The Spirit Of Mayo.
• 1994 Composes Riverdance for interval segment of the Eurovision Song Contest. The segment is an unprecedented success and spins off into the long running stage show.
• 1995 Invited to serve on Government Task Force set up by Minister Michael D Higgins.
• 1996 Composes original music for Jim Sheridan/Terry George film Some Mother's Son.
• 1997 Receives Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for Riverdance.
• 2000 Riverdance opens on Broadway.
• 2001 Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from IMRO
• 2006 Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meteor Music Awards.