Book review: Paul Brady's crazy dreams came true

Musician Paul Brady at the launch of his book ‘Crazy Dreams’ at the City Library, Grand Parade, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan

• Crazy Dreams
• Paul Brady
• Merrion Press, €19.99

Paul Brady has dramatically changed his style and genres over the last six decades. He moved from ballad group to showbands to trad groups; he became a solo singer, a singer/songwriter and fronted rock bands.

Through every change he has maintained his unique persona.

Brady’s parents were primary school teachers. The family lived in Strabane, Co Tyrone. They were a Catholic family, with a long tradition in education. His father, a Sligoman, taught in Lifford, Co Donegal, his mother was from Tyrone. She taught at nearby Sion Mills Elementary School, a non-religiously aligned school with a Quaker ethos.

It made sense for the Bradys to eschew their Catholic tradition and send Paul to his mother’s school, and from there he moved to Catholic St Columb’s College in Derry where he spent his secondary school life as a boarder.

Brady’s upbringing formed his character. He had a solid family background where education and music were encouraged. He also had many memorable summer holidays with the extended family in Bundoran.

At school, however, the Quakers did not prepare him for life with the Catholics, and the Catholics did not prepare him for life beyond school. He learned to survive by blending in to life around him without compromising his own feelings and ideals.

As well as documenting Brady’s own story, Crazy Dreams gives an insight to the changing Irish music scene since the 1960s. The tone of the book is warm and friendly. It contrasts with the austere image Brady often portrays on stage or on television.

Crazy Dreams by Paul Brady

Brady would have the reader believe that each stage of his life happened by pure chance. Nothing could be further from the truth.

From his days backing pub singers in Bundoran to gigging on stage with Eric Clapton or Tina Turner, Brady progressed one step at a time by his hard work.

He moved to Dublin and UCD in the early 1960s where, after years of listening to the likes of Sinatra and Crosby and playing rock ’n’ roll music, he became involved in the emerging Dublin folk scene. College failed to engage the frustrated Brady, and despite pressure from his parents, he turned to music for a living. It was an early sign that he would follow his inner drive rather than chose the safer path.

He first came to national fame with the Johnstons ballad group. The Johnstons achieved considerable success in Ireland and England, but later failed in their bid to conquer America.

Brady’s time with the Johnstons in the USA turned out to be the lowest point of his life — he found it impossible to break from the group despite the fact it was a rapidly sinking ship.

He was snapped out of his malaise by a letter from Andy Irvine in Ireland asking him to consider replacing the departing Christy Moore in Planxty. Despite his enthusiasm for the offer, it took him some time to gather the money for the flight home.

Brady’s fortunes changed when he joined Planxty. The group was the most important group of the Irish folk revival and he gained the confidence to follow his own musical instincts.

True to form, he worked hard which resulted in lots of new contacts. As a result, when opportunities for recordings and touring arose, Brady was regularly seen as the right man in the right place at the right time, and his star rose accordingly.

Now in his 70s, Brady’s active career is winding down. Throughout the book he takes the opportunity to recognise and acknowledge many of those who helped him along his remarkable journey.

If he has any major regrets, he does not acknowledge them, except to repeat — many times — he spent an awful lot of time away from home when his children were growing up.

Fans of Paul Brady and his music will love Crazy Dreams, while those who may not be as familiar with the music scene, will enjoy the story as they find themselves humming the songs like ‘The Lakes of Pontchartrain’ and ‘The Island’, which have become synonymous with the man.