Mary Coughlan

Mary Coughlan

Mary Coughlan is an Irish singer and actress from County Galway, Ireland, who works in folk, jazz and blues. She begins her singing career in 1984 and becomes known for emotionally direct performances and a jazzy style. Her early life is marked by instability, and this later shapes the personal character often associated with her music.

Early life and career

Coughlan moves to London in the mid-1970s, where she marries and starts a family before ending the marriage and returning to Galway with her children. Before her singing career begins, she also works as a model and a street-sweeper. In 1984 she starts performing with Dutch musician Erik Visser, who becomes her long-term collaborator.

Recording career

In 1985 she appears on the Late Late Show in Dublin and records her first album, which presents her blues-influenced jazz style and becomes an unexpected bestseller in Ireland. She releases further recordings on WEA Records and continues to receive praise for her output. In the mid-1990s she signs with Big Cat Records, which issues a live album and After The Fall, her debut release in the United States. Her 2008 album The House of Ill Repute draws strong reviews and is described as her best work to that point.

Other work

In June 2000 Coughlan presents a series of multimedia shows in Dublin dedicated to Billie Holiday, whose life has parallels with her own. Alongside singing, she also works as an actress.