Carmel Quinn
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Carmel Quinn (born in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish entertainer, who has appeared on Broadway, television, and radio since coming to America in the 1950s.
She began her career in her native Dublin as a teenager singing with local bands. She sang at Dublin's Theatre Royal with the house orchestra Jimmy Campbell. The first time she sang the then little-known song The Isle of Innisfree from the classic hit movie The Quiet Man starring another beautiful Irish redhead; Maureen O'Hara. The audience went wild with applause and a star was born. After coming to America in the early 1950s, the beautiful red-haired teenager appeared on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts radio program in 1955 and won the contest[1]. Her voice and performing style was compared to that of Judy Garland and other popular singers.
The audience liked her so much that she became a regular on the show, appearing daily, singing and telling her funny anecdotes about her life. She went on to appear on the television version of Arthur Godfrey and His Friends with other popular regulars including Pat Boone. Unlike many of the so-called "Little Godfreys", who Godfrey capriciously dismissed from his shows, who left with bitter feelings, Quinn had no such trouble with Godfrey. She remained a frequent guest throughout Godfrey's television career and appeared on the CBS radio version of Arthur Godfrey Time which he hosted until 1972. She continued to be a favourite with audiences and made many guest appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, Match Game, Candid Camera and other variety and talk shows.
Since then she went on to appear in numerous musical road shows and has starred in Wildcat, Finian's Rainbow, The Sound of Music, etc. She performed for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Her annual Saint Patrick's Day Concerts at the famed Carnegie Hall have sold out for 25 years and have become legendary.
Quinn has appeared in numerous television commercials and has recorded many successful albums throughout her long career. She received a Grammy Award nomination for her children's recording of Patrick Muldoon and his Magic Balloon. One of her biggest hits was The Whistling Gypsy Rover.
She continues to record and many of her early recordings have been reissued on CD. In 1991 she was the second woman to receive the prestigious John F. Kennedy Award for excellence in her field of activity.
She continues to perform her cabaret show throughout the United States as well as maintaining a continuing commitment to numerous American and Irish charities.
[edit] References
- ^ Emblen, Frank (02/23/1986). New Jersey Guide. "The New York Times". Accessed on August 14, 2007.
