The Irish Rovers are returning to Ontario to celebrate 45 years of music with their Home in Ireland tour.
And on March 9 that tour will be stopping at the Drayton Festival Theatre.
This year, The Irish Rovers celebrate 45 years since their debut release, appropriately titled The First of The Irish Rovers. Their latest release, Gracehill Fair, as most of their albums over the last decade, was recorded in both Canada and Ireland on their own record label, Rover Records. The CD includes new original and rollicking drinking songs for which the band is best known, as well as a selection of original ballads.
The story of the Irish Rovers begins in Canada, where the 16-year old George Millar and 23-year old Jim Ferguson, both new emigrants from northern Ireland, met in Toronto at an Irish function. George’s cousin, Joe Millar, immigrated to Canada the following year and was recruited as he stepped off the plane. After several successful months in Ontario as The Irish Rovers, the trio made their way to Calgary, Alberta, to join forces with George’s brother, Will.
The success of their first album led to a second, which included a sweet little song which they had been playing in the clubs, called “The Unicorn”.
Today, The Irish Rovers continue to perform in theatres around the world, with original members George Millar (also a prolific songwriter), and Wilcil McDowell. Will Millar left the group in 1994, and sadly Jimmy Ferguson passed away in 1997. In 2005 Joe Millar also retired from the band, while his son, Ian (who inherited his father’s golden tones) took up the family ranks. Big Sean O’Driscoll joined the lads in 1995, the charmingly hilarious John Reynolds has been playing with the band for nearly 20 years, and drummer Fred Graham has been touring with the lads since 2007.
Additional details of their story can be found online at http://irishroversmusic.com.
