Bap Kennedy

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Martin Christopher Kennedy (17 June 1962 – 1 November 16, 2016), also known as Bap Kennedy, was a Belfast, Northern Ireland singer-songwriter.

Kennedy was known for his performances with Steve Earle, Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan, and Mark Knopfler, as well as writing the song "Moonlight Kiss" which was on the soundtrack to the film Serendipity, and "Reckless Heart."

Kennedy performed, wrote, and recorded songs with artists such as Steve Earle (on Domestic Blues), Van Morrison (on The Big Picture) and Mark Knopfler (on The Sailor's Revenge) throughout his solo career.

Following the introduction of The Big Picture and The Sailor's Revenge, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, who also produced Kennedy's album The Sailor's Revenge, toured the United States and Europe.

Personal life

Martin Christopher Kennedy was born on June 17th, 1962, to Lily and Jim Kennedy.

He was Brian Kennedy's brother. The family grew up on the Falls Road, Belfast, where he acquired his nickname of Bap as a youth reaction to the rolls (or "baps") of bread sold by local bakery Kennedy's Bakery.

Kennedy grew up in West Belfast during the Troubles and died of both legs in a no-warning bomb in 1976.

Kennedy left Northern Ireland in 1985 and spent as a labourer on London building sites before progressing to become a professional musician. Kennedy became a qualified diamond gemmologist while living in England, and the Gemmological Association of Great Britain accredited him.

In 2007, Kennedy returned to Northern Ireland from his homeland. A few weeks after returning to school, Kennedy hosted a songwriting workshop, where he ran into writer and former advocate Brenda Boyd, who was attending the course. The two were married in 2008 and soon became a family. Brenda, a writer of numerous books for parents of autism and Asperger syndrome, has since performed backing vocals on four of Kennedy's albums – Howl On, The Sailor's Revenge, Let's Start Again, and Reckless Heart – and was also a regular member of Kennedy's live band as his bass guitarist and backing singer.

Kennedy's marriage to Brenda was also a stepfather to Christine White and Kenneth Hall, who is also an author, who wrote about his encounter with Asperger syndrome in Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything. In 2010, Kennedy became co-patron (with his wife) of the charity Autism NI, as a result of his family's experiences with autism and Asperger's syndrome. On his blog, Kennedy later revealed that he had been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which he described as being "the engine of [his] creativity." Kennedy had a keen interest in the Apollo space program, which would be the inspiration for Kennedy's 2009 album Howl On.

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Musical career

Sellout, Kennedy's first band, formed in 1978 at the age of 16. Uncle Waldo, who was playing in a local Belfast club, was born with the band to assist rock band Uncle Waldo.

Kennedy formed the band ten years ago, after being involved in several other local bands, with whom he received his first national recognition when they appeared on Channel 4's music show The Tube in 1983. Mark Kelly, MBE, was in charge of the band. ten past 7 were signed to Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations record label, many years earlier, and they released two singles before disbanding when Bap left Belfast for London to pursue a recording contract.

After heading to London, Kennedy formed the band Energy Orchard, for whom he was the rhythm guitarist, lead singer, and primary songwriter. Despite being based in London, the band's members had originated from Belfast, much like Kennedy. MCA Records gave the band a big recording contract in 1988 and they would continue to produce two albums with the company before deciding with Transatlantic for additional studio albums as well as the live album Orchardville.

Energy Orchard continued to perform on London's live stage, including a appearance at the first London Fleadh in 1990. The band has toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and America, including many support slots with Van Morrison, Steve Earle, and Jimmy Barnes. Energy Orchard disbanded in 1996 with a farewell London show on St Patrick's Day, which would be broadcast on the live album Orchardville.

Solo career

Kennedy was phoned by Steve Earle, who offered to produce Kennedy's first solo record, after Energy Orchard fell apart. Kennedy joined him in Nashville, Tennessee, shortly after he recorded his first solo album.

Earl and Ray Kennedy's "Twang Trust" produced Domestic Blues, and Earle and Ray Kennedy performed guitar and sang backing vocals on the album. Jerry Douglas, guitarist Peter Rowan, and singer Nanci Griffith are among the album's session musicians.

All of the songs on Domestic Blues were written by Kennedy except Angel is the Devil, which was written by Earl Earl Earl. Earle went on to say that Kennedy was "the best songwriter I ever saw." The album was released on Earl E-Squared, garnering generally critical feedback. It was also a commercial success, with Billboard's number eight at number eight.

Several songs from the album were used for movie soundtracks, including Vampire appearing in the soundtrack to the Oscar nominated film You Can Count on Me, which also received the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. In the film Southie, three other songs from Domestic Blues were also used.

The album's title track was used as the theme song for BBC Radio 4's comedy Happy Tuesdays in 2012. Kennedy and Steve Earle, as well as other artists on the E-Squared label, including Cheri Knight and The V-Roys, toured together with Steve Earle after the release of Domestic Blues.

While in Nashville, Kennedy piqued an interest in Hank Williams' music, who Kennedy described as his "favourite song writer" and a major influence. Kennedy released an album of Hank Williams covers titled Hillbilly Shakespeare, which featured pedal steel guitar playing from B.J. Cole Cole. The album was limited to release as the first record on Kennedy's own label, Lonely Street Discs, was out of print.

Kennedy briefly supervised Elvis Impersonator The King of Elvis Presley, and was the designer for The King's album Gravelands, a collection of songs by other deceased artists performed in the style of Elvis Presley. The record became a firm favorite of John Peel and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kennedy's continuing interest in Hank Williams and Elvis Presley's music led him to the creation of Lonely Street, a concept album based on his two musical heroes.

The album, which was released in 2000 on Kennedy's Lonely Street Discs, features bass guitar by Herbie Flowers, who is best known for playing the popular bass line on Lou Reed's hit song Walk on the Wild Side. It has received mainly favorable feedback. "Moonlight Kiss" from Kennedy's album was later used in the soundtrack for hit Hollywood film Serendipity (starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale).

Kennedy spent many years touring, including appearances with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues and Pete Doherty of The Libertines, and the respected Half Moon, Putney, which also housed the Rolling Stones, after the publication of Lonely Street.

Shane MacGowan, the Pogues' lead singer, performed on Kennedy's forthcoming album, The Big Picture, with MacGowan providing lead vocals on Kennedy's "On the Mighty Ocean Alcohol."

The late Carolyn Cassady, another guest vocalist on the album, was the basis for Jack Kerouac's book On the Road. Cassady's Blues, Kennedy's favourite book, was given a reading from her own book Off the Road. "Moriarty's Blues" is a ballad about Dean Moriarty's On the Road, which was based on Cassady's husband Neal.

The Big Picture was also a return to working with Van Morrison, who had aided Kennedy since his days as an Energy Orchard. The album was recorded in Morrison's studio and featured the song Milky Way, which was co-written by Morrison and Kennedy. B.J., a pedal steel guitarist, is among the performers on the record. Cole and guitarist James Walbourne, who is a member of The Pretenders, is a member of the rock band The Pretenders. The album was released in 2005 to generally positive feedback.

After the album's debut, Kennedy was approached by former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, who asked Kennedy to appear as Knopfler's support artist. This culminated in Kennedy's stint as the support artist and special guest for Knopfler's tours of the United States and Europe, as well as a five-night stay at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Howl On, Kennedy's 2009 album Howl On was, like Lonely Street, a conceptual album based on a real life theme in which Kennedy was deeply involved. Howl On was a look back at the Space Race of the late 1960s, with Kennedy looking at the astronauts' lives and backgrounds as well as the scientists who served on the Apollo program.

Hey Joe, the only cover on the album, was also chosen as a nod to this time period as it was Jimi Hendrix's last album at the Woodstock Festival.

Henry McCullough, a member of Joe Cocker's band, was also on the album, and the first Irishman to play at Woodstock. McCullough has also worked with Paul McCartney and Wings.

Howl On is getting generally positive feedback. The album was followed by a fruitful tour of the United Kingdom, Europe, and America, including the South by South West festival and a performance at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival.

In early 2011, Kennedy released The Sailor's Revenge, a new album by former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler at Knopfler's British Grove Studios in London. Kennedy and Knopfler's collaboration on the album was a close collaboration, with the two artists collaborating on the project for two years together. Knopfler was also instrumental in choosing which songs to record for the album, and he's also performed guitar on several songs and sang backing vocals for the song "Celtic Sea."

Several members of Knopfler's touring band, including Glenn Worf, Guy Fletcher, John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, and Richard Bennett, are included on the album. Jerry Douglas, who had previously worked with Kennedy on Domestic Blues, and James Walbourne of The Pretenders, who had appeared on Kennedy's 2005 album The Big Picture, were both on the album.

The Sailor's Revenge was released on Proper Records in 2012 and received widespread critical acclaim around the world, including No. 1 in the influential American magazine No Depression, where it was described as "a masterpiece from a man who is now at home in his place in the world" – The Celtic Blood on the Tracks." In the 2012 Americana charts, it was also included in Mojo's Top ten Americana albums.

Mark Knopfler's tour of the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe helped with the album.

Following The Sailor's Revenge's Celtic melancholy, Kennedy introduced a modern Americana style for the sequel to Let's Try Again. Mudd Wallace, who made several albums for Northern Irish alternative rock band Therapy, produced the album, which Kennedy recorded in his hometown Northern Ireland. Wallace was a long-time friend of Kennedy and had served as the producer for Kennedy's early band 10 Past 7. Let's Get It Again uses local Northern Ireland session musicians, as well as Brenda Kennedy, who plays bass guitar and sings backing vocals on the album.

Proper Records' album had a worldwide release on CD and vinyl, and it had received acclaim, including a 5 star review from No Depression.

Only a few weeks before his illness, Kennedy's last album, Reckless Heart, was released in early 2016. Reckless Heart, like Let's Start Again, was recorded in Northern Ireland and featured many members from Kennedy's live band, including his wife Brenda.

In association with Last Chance Records in the United States and internationally, Lonely Street Discs' label in conjunction with Last Chance Records in the United States and elsewhere, the album was released posthumously by Kennedy's label Lonely Street Discs in the United Kingdom and internationally. It has been lauded by experts worldwide for its scholarly treatment.

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