Benny Gallagher - singer/songwriter.

 
 

Benny Gallagher earlier in his career

Benny Gallagher is one of the more esteemed members of our musical Gallaghers. Born Bernard Joseph Gallagher in Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland, his Gallagher origins are likely to be in Donegal, Ireland. His songs and music have given and continue to give, great pleasure to countless people all over the world.

Benny began his songwriting career as a staff writer with the Beatles Music Publishing Co.- Apple - writing songs for his lifelong friend and Apple Records biggest solo recording artist, Mary Hopkin. Benny has always considered those "formative" days at Apple, and, especially, the constant encouragement of Paul McCartney, as one of the most important factors in his development as a songwriter.   

1970 saw his band McGuinness Flint storm the charts with G&L hit songs When I'm Dead and Gone and Malt and Barley Blues.     Then came a string of highly acclaimed Gallagher and Lyle Albums - a brief interlude to record the hit single How Come and the Album Anymore for Anymore with Ronnie Lane and the Slim Chance Band - eventually culminating in the hugely successful Breakaway album containing the richly romantic hit singles Heart on my Sleeve and I Wanna Stay With You - his work went on to receive further acclaim and the ultimate acknowledgement along with an introduction to an even wider audience when Art Garfunkel recorded the iconic song Breakaway.    

It is a testament to the enduring quality of his song-writing that:   1. Simon & Garfunkel performed A Heart in New York in their Concert in Central Park to an audience of approx. 500,000.     2. Garth Brooks also chose to perform A Heart in New York in his Concert in Central Park to an audience of approx. 750,000.  Don Williams took the classic Stay Young to No.1 in the Country Charts generating well in excess of 1,000,000 airplays on US Radio.   A wide variety of Artists have recorded his songs: Art Garfunkel; Bryan Ferry; Colin Blunstone; Don Williams; Donovan Frankereiter; Elkie Brooks; Fairport Convention; Garth Brooks; Jim Capaldi; Joe Brown; Judith Durham; Little Anthony and the Imperials;  Mary Hopkin; Phil Everly; Ricky Nelson; Ringo Starr; Rita Coolidge; Simon and Garfunkel; Status Quo;The Fureys & Davey Arthur; and LemonJelly..to name but a few. 

On record he has worked with: Paul McCartney - Eric Clapton - Pete Townsend - Ronnie Lane - Ronnie Wood - Gary Brooker - Georgie Fame - Mary Hopkin - Elkie Brooks - Ralph McTell - Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention, as well as Blues legends Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (composer of That's Alright Mama for Elvis Presley) and Champion Jack Dupree.   Between song-writing visits to Nashville, and composing soundtracks for film and television, he has performed at The Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival 2008 with Don Schlitz, Nanci Griffiths, and Pat Alger,  an  “In the Round Concert” with Beth Nielsen-Chapman, Ricky Ross and Charlie Dore to celebrate the opening of the new BBC Scotland Headquarters in Glasgow, and a special guest  appearance with Legendary Jazz Guitarist Martin Taylor in his string of sell-out shows during the London Jazz Festival.    

Benny spent two years as founding Director and seven years as Chairman of P@MRA-The Performing Artists Media Rights Association-administering the right to equitable remuneration for U.K. Performers.    During his time at P@MRA Benny was able to achieve a long term ambition by visiting Japan to successfully negotiate and later conclude a deal with Geidankyo (The Japanese equivalent of P@MRA) which now provides all U.K. performers with Equitable Remuneration from Japan - for the very first time!     Under Benny's stewardship, between1996–2002, P@MRA distributed over £20m to Performers as Equitable Remuneration for the use of their recordings.  

Benny today

In 2001 he was deemed a “Companion of LIPA” the world renowned Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and presented with this Award by it's co-founder Paul McCartney, alongside fellow Companions Singer-Songwriter Joan Armatrading and “Architect of Punk” Malcolm MacLaren.  On March 1st 2005, as a guest of Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip, he attended a Celebration of British Music at Buckingham Palace along with: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Brian May, Peter Gabriel, Sir George Martin, Martin Taylor, Joan Armatrading, Eddi Reader, Roger Daltrey, Richard Thompson, Status Quo, Jamie Cullum, Courtney Pine, Katherine Tickell, and Charlotte Church…   

With the release of his first-ever studio Solo Album - At the edge of the wave - Benny will make a long overdue return to the spotlight in 2009 to perform all of the hits he penned for McGuinness Flint and Gallagher & Lyle.. along with some great new songs from his new Album.

It is hoped that a suitable occasion can be organized in the near future to allow Benny perform in Donegal, the land of his forefathers.

Listen to Benny and see dates and venues where he is appearing,  at  www.myspace.com/bennygallagher  and www.myspace.com/onsongrecords