My Greystones: Johnny McEvoy

ou wouldn’t think it to look at the man, but it was 50 years ago that Johnny McEvoy first broke through in the music business.

Enjoying the sort of breakthrough that Elvis and The Beatles would have happily sold their souls for, young Johnny hit the no.1 slot right out of the gate with his debut single, an update of the old Irish standard Mursheen Durkin, way back in 1966.

That was swiftly followed by another no.1 hit in 1967 – the double A-sider, The Boston Strangler/I Still Miss Someone. Another year, and another no.1 hit, this time with another much-loved Irish standard, Nora. 

And just in case you thought Johnny McEvoy was merely a man for breathing new life into old classics, when he made the move into songwriting, with Long Before Your Time, sure and begorrah, didn’t that go to no.1 too.

Indeed, many of Johnny’s compositions have become classics in their own right, including Going To California, Michael, The Ballad Of Anne Frank and Never Learned To Dance.

Having revisited many of those early hits with new recordings for the 2010 documentary For The Poor And The Gentry – including a rousing rendition of Mursheen Durkin with Sharon Shannon & Her Big Band – McEvoy has settled into the role of respected folk elder these days. Heading out on the road twice a year, for 20-date tours in the autumn and the spring, Johnny may have a long, illustrious back catalogue to pull his setlists from, but the fire for recording new material still burns.

For his upcoming live album, The Stable Sessions, McEvoy takes it back to his roots. Just a room, a kick-ass band, and a microphone. Just the way Sam and Elvis intended.

“The great thing is, I get more of a kick now out of music than I did all those years ago,” says McEvoy. “I’m more confident now. I don’t sweat the small stuff; I just let the music take the lead. It means that I’m out on the road because I want to be there, and it means that I’m in the studio because I want to be there.

“And it’s the same with Greystones. I’ve lived all over this country, and loved many a town, but here in Greystones, I’m near my son, my daughter, and everything I could ever need. Whether it’s a walk in the Wicklow wilds, or a day in the big city. It’s all right on Greystones’ doorstep.

“So, I’m here to stay. If you guys will have me…”

You can find out the latest on Johnny boy right about here, and follow him on Facebook here.