Dee Reilly

Biography

Deirdre Reilly beautifully personifies the dramatic influence that Irish music has had on today’s American Country scene.  Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts to a mother from County Cork and a father from County Mayo, Ireland, Deirdre began performing at age five.  As a teenager she sang with her step-father’s show band and traveled around New England and parts of New York with her own band.  Deirdre’s talents were revealed on a national level at age eighteen when she toured the United States with Paddy Noonan’s Irish Variety Show.  In 1989 Deirdre auditioned at the Berkeley School Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts for talent scouts from the Opryland Show Park in Nashville, Tennessee.  After hearing Deirdre sing, there was little deliberation among the scouts about offering her a contract to perform in their most popular show “COUNTRY MUSIC USA” for the coming summer season.  Deirdre eagerly accepted that contract and was well on her way to exploring a world of music that she innately was destined to pursue.  That summer led to three consecutive seasons at Opryland Show Park where she quickly began to open many doors in the music industry.

In-between her stints at Opryland, Deirdre continued to work the Irish scene in the United States and exposed herself to an ever growing audience that shared her musical tastes.  “I have always maintained that the roots of Country music are Irish and it would only stand to reason that Irish audiences would embrace Country music the same way that I do.  My story is not complicated.  I was born in America to Irish parents who love Country music.  I grew up in a house full of music.  At that time the most popular music among the age group of my parents who are immigrants from Ireland was the music of Hank Williams Sr., Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Kitty Wells, The Carter Family, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Johnny Horton, Lorreta Lynn, Patsy Cline…and the list goes on…

That was the genre of “popular” music that they as teenagers grew up with in Ireland and then came to share with so many of their Irish and American friends when they moved here.  My parents, being away from home… so many miles away from their home, began to embrace again the music that they grew up with-the music that was so much a part of who they are-and that was Irish traditional music.  With their new found appreciation for Irish traditional music and their deep passion for Country music I, unknowingly benefited from their experiences, their musical journeys and their love for both Irish and Country music.  I have so much to be thankful for!”  (Deirdre Reilly)

Deirdre Reilly’s warm, engaging style, powerful voice and dynamic stage presence have made her one of the top entertainers in Irish music today.  With fans from Los Angeles to Dublin, Deirdre is a hit with audiences of all ages no matter where she goes.  “Deirdre’s love of what she does shows all through her process of being a professional musician.  She is totally professional on stage and off, always exuding that “star quality” she was born with, always totally prepared and always willing to take the time to meet her fans even after the most demanding concerts.” (quote from former manager Fred Kewley-Nashville, Tennessee)

Deirdre Reilly has seven albums to her credit:  “20 of My Favorite Nashville Songs”, “A Toast to the Irish Colleens”, “A Country Collection” ,  “Unpredictable Stuff”, Nothin’ Right, Nothin’ Left  and an album with Rory Daniels called “Sweet Memories” .   Deirdre’s “Unpredictable Stuff” contains mostly original material hand selected by Deirdre herself.  And since the release of the album in November 2000, it is already gaining international attention.  She was recently quoted as saying, “While I am very proud of all of my recordings to date my favorite is my latest release “Unpredictable Stuff”!”  “I love it because for the first time in my career I was able to record an album that is 100% me!  I picked the songs and though I didn’t write them, I  feel the songs that I selected!”

The single from the new release is track number six “Silence Of The Stars”.  The song written by Nashville songwriter Cathy Majeski which is about something that everyone can relate to-a personal loss is sure to become a global favorite.

“Deirdre Reilly’s music says to me:  “I love what I’m doing, I love these songs, I love to watch you enjoy what I do, I want to move you and make you happy!  If you know her personally, that is exactly who she is.  Deirdre is a loving, good person who is also a world-class talent, a great musician, a natural beauty, and an artist whose performances have inspired audiences and made so many fans around the world .  Deirdre Reilly has “it”- everything it takes to earn a singular place on the world’s musical stage.”  (Fred Kewley)

Anyone who has the pleasure of hearing and/or seeing Deirdre Reilly perform will not be disappointed.  “She selects only the most important, moving songs, she hires only the best musicians to record her albums and perform with her in concerts around the world”.  (Fred Kewley)  She demands lovingly “the best” from all who surround her so that she can deliver the best that she can for those who experience her.  Of the self chosen title of her new album “Unpredictable Stuff”, the only thing predictable about Deirdre Reilly and her new album is “EXCELLENCE”!