Mary Coughlan | |
|---|---|
 Coughlan at The Met in Bury, April 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mary Doherty |
| Born | (1956-05-05)5 May 1956 (age 68) Galway, Ireland |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, writer, actress |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | WEA,East West, Tradition & Moderne, Hail Mary Records |
| Website | marycoughlan |
Mary Coughlan (born 5 May 1956) is an Irish singer.[1][2]
Mary Coughlan was born inGalway, Ireland.[2] Her father was a soldier fromCounty Donegal. She was the eldest of five and had endured an erratic youth. She leftconvent school and started drinkingalcohol and taking other drugs when she was fifteen. At this age she spent time in amental hospital. After time in hospital and a belated graduation, Coughlan decided to leave home. In the mid-1970s, she moved to London, England, where she married Fintan Coughlan and had three children.[2] In 1981, she left her husband and took custody of her children.[2] In 1984, she moved back to her hometown ofGalway. On her return to Ireland, when she started to perform in public, she was noticed by Dutch musician and producerErik Visser.[2][1]
Visser, whose bandFlairck was popular in Europe, helped Coughlan record her first album,Tired and Emotional.[2] Visser went on to become her long-term collaborator.[2] The album sold an unexpected 100,000 copies in Ireland, partly because of an appearance onThe Late Late Show.[2] Despite problems, Coughlan continued to reap praise for her recording output onWEA. OnUnder the Influence (1987) she sang the 1948Peggy Lee hit "Don't Smoke in Bed" and theBillie Holiday ballad "Good Morning Heartache", as well asJimmy McCarthy's "Ride On", which reached number 5 on the Irish pop charts in 1987.[2] In 1988 she made her acting debut inNeil Jordan'sHigh Spirits.[2]
In 1990, she signed withEast West Records, which released her third album,Uncertain Pleasures, recorded in the UK and produced byPete Glenister, former music director forTerence Trent D'Arby.[2] It included compositions by Mark Nevin and cover versions of theRolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper" andElvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel."[2]Sentimental Killer (1992) andLove for Sale (1993) were received well.[2] In 1994, she lent her vocals toA Woman's Heart Vol.2 album withMary Black andDolores Keane. She releasedLive in Galway and in 1997After the Fall, which became her American debut.[2]
In June 2000, Coughlan took another turn in her career when she presented a series of multimedia shows in Dublin and London celebrating Billie Holiday, a singer whose life had parallels to Coughlan's. Material from these shows was collected onMary Coughlan Sings Billie Holiday.[2] In April 2001Long Honeymoon was released,[2] and in 2002Red Blues. She appeared on theRTÉ reality television charity showCelebrity Farm.[3]The House of Ill Repute was released in 2008.[4] She participated in the albumSanctuary withMoya Brennan.
In 2018, Coughlan collaborated with the Brokentalkers[5] and Valgeir Sigurðsson,[6] to createWoman Undone, a fusion of theatre, music and dance to re-imagine her life and childhood. It tells the story of a young woman who endured abuse, addiction and mental illness and whose discovery of art and music was her redemption.
The premiere took place at Projects Art Centre, Dublin, featuring Mary Coughlan alongside female quartet Mongoose performing an original score by Valgeir Sigurðsson which fuses electronic music with live instrumentation and a haunting vocal score.Woman Undone was nominated in two categories for theIrish Times Theatre Awards:[7] Best Sound for Mary Coughlan, Mongoose and Valgeir Sigurðsson; Best Movement: Eddie Kay.
AfterTired and Emotional, Coughlan faced mismanagement of her career. She lost her car, house, and recording contract with Warner Music. She drank alcohol excessively and was hospitalized more than thirty times. She recovered in 1994 and had two children with Frank Bonadio.[8] A public spat with singerSinéad O'Connor ensued over Bonadio's affections.[9]
Coughlan has spoken about the role of women in Irish society.[10] In September 2017, she walked out of an interview withNewstalk presenterGeorge Hook in response to comments made by the presenter about rape victims.[11]
In 2020, Mary received a lifetime achievement award by the Mayor of Galway in recognition of her impact on the cultural life of the city.[12]
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