Celtic Crossings: Featuring Phil Coulter and Andy Cooney Comes to Music Hall Today

Music Hall and The Fraternal Order of United Irishmen Charities present an evening of Irish Entertainment. Celtic Crossings is a delightful concert of Celtic tranquility with the great songs of Phil Coulter sung by the magnificent voice of Andy Cooney, with special guest Geraldine Branagan, and the Irish Pops Ensemble, Thursday March 09, 2017 at 7:30 PM on Music Hall's main stage.

Phil Coulter is known as Ireland's Musical Ambassador; his lyrics and melodies have captured the hearts of millions throughout the world. His career is decorated with 23 platinum discs, 39 Gold Discs, 52 Silver Discs and two Grand Prix Eurovision awards. Phil met Bill Martin in 1965, and a successful song writing team was born that lasted more than fifteen years. Their Puppet On A String was covered over 100 times, Congratulations was written for Cliff Richard, pop music giant Elvis Presley recorded My Boy and country legend Bill Anderson recorded Thanks. But their big break came in 1976 when Clive Davis, then head of Arista Records, took the Bay City Rollers to #1 on the Billboard Charts with Saturday Night, written and produced by Martin and Coulter. In 1984, Coulter launched himself as an artist in his own right by releasing a piano-led orchestral album called Classic Tranquility. His follow-up, Sea of Tranquility, became the second-best selling album of all time in Ireland. The Tranquility releases captured the heart of President Clinton which led to numerous invitations to perform at The White House.

In 2007, Phil was the musical mastermind and original songwriter behind Celtic Thunder, an act which found huge success on PBS and has regularly topped the Billboard World Music Charts. Phil's contribution to music continues to be recognized; he was awarded the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 2013. He was honored on both sides of the Atlantic in 2014 with induction into the Irish Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at Boston College. He signed off 2014 with three CD's in the Irish Album Chart. He never stops!

Andy Cooney, with his outstanding tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, has captured the hearts of Irish music lovers from coast to coast. In 1994, Andy was christened Irish America's Favorite Son by The New York Times, a title he richly deserves. Andy's first break came in 1986 from the well-known New York based Irish band leader, Paddy Noonan. They recorded several albums together and made famous the ever popular Irish Wedding Song. Andy recorded his first PBS TV special in 2006, An Evening of Irish Classics, a production that featured Andy's Irish band along with The Nashville String Machine. It aired in 40 different markets throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 2008, Andy recorded his first Symphony CD with the RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin, Ireland. On this release, Andy was joined by Grammy-Winning Artists Larry Gatlin and Crystal Gayle, and Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan. This collaboration led to Andy Cooney's production show, American Voices, a three-artist show featuring Andy Cooney, Larry Gatlin, and Crystal Gayle, which toured for a year, taking in 18 cities. Andy took the big step to New York City's Carnegie Hall in 2009 and 2010, headlining The Magic of Christmas, which enjoyed two decisive sell outs in that venerable venue. In 2011, Andy formed The New York Tenors featuring himself along with Michael Amante and Daniel Rodriguez. The New York Tenors have been receiving high critical acclaim everywhere they perform. The New York Tenors also sold out Carnegie Hall in December 2012 and December 2013. Andy has recorded 18 albums to date, with his 19th release produced by Phil Coulter, called Bright Brand New Day.

Geraldine Branagan, with her trademark mane of blonde hair and dazzing smile, was one of the most glamorous stars in the 1980's. With hit records in Ireland, number one albums in South Africa, she was the first to entertain the Irish troops in Lebanon, and represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest; Geraldine took them all in her stride, pausing only to be regularly photographed for the covers of glossy magazines. Although she then swapped careers, devoting her time to her family with husband Phil Coulter, she never lost her passion for singing, her looks, or her sense of style. Some of her recent performances include The National Concert Hall in Dublin, The Cork Opera House and Carnegie Hall. Make no mistake, Geraldine is back in the spotlight, right where she belongs.

Tickets are $30 to $50 plus preservation fee. Available at Ticketmaster.com or Music Hall Box office. 313 887-8500

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