Mary Black is an Irish singer from Dublin, born in 1955. She is known for interpreting folk and contemporary material and is associated with folk and Irish folk music.

Career

Black begins singing in her family group in her youth. Her father is a fiddler and her mother is a singer, and music is part of her family background. In 1975 she joins the folk band General Humbert, touring Europe with the group and releasing two albums with them in 1975 and 1978.

In 1982 she develops a professional relationship with musician and producer Declan Sinnott and records her first solo album, Mary Black. From 1984 to 1986 she also performs with the traditional Irish band De Dannan. After 1986 she continues with a solo career that moves into contemporary styles including jazz and country.

Recognition

Black is named “Best Female Artist” in the IRMA poll in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994 and 1996. Her voice is also used for a number of years as an audiophile benchmark by What Hi-Fi? magazine for comparing high-fidelity sound systems.

Family

She is married to Joe O'Reilly of Dara Records and they have three children. Her son Danny is a member of the Irish rock band The Coronas, and her daughter Róisín performs as Róisín O.

Discography

Her albums include Mary Black (1983), Collected (1984), Without the Fanfare (1985), By the Time it Gets Dark (1987), No Frontiers (1989), Babes in the Wood (1991), The Collection (1992), The Holy Ground (1993), Circus (1995), Shine (1997), Speaking with the Angel (1999), The Best of Mary Black 1991-2001 & Hidden Harvest (2001), Mary Black Live (2003), Full Tide (2005), Twenty-Five Years Twenty-Five Songs (2008) and Stories from the Steeples (2011).