Pat McManus

Pat McManus is an American singer, songwriter and producer. He comes from a musical family in Derrylin, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and grows up surrounded by traditional Irish music. His father, John, and mother, Valerie, are both accomplished players, and he learns instruments at home with his brothers John and Tommy.

Early life and Mamas Boys

By the age of seven, he appears on live television, and by 14 he becomes All-Ireland Fiddle Champion. He later discovers Horslips, whose Celtic rock sound connects with the brothers’ own background, and the three move from fiddle, uilleann pipes and bodhráns to electric instruments. Their first group is called Pulse, with Pat on guitar, John on bass and vocals, and Tommy on drums. After a Radio Luxembourg interview in which Tony Prince jokingly calls them Mama’s Boys, the name stays and the band becomes known as Mamas Boys.

The band builds a live following by supporting many major rock acts in Belfast and Dublin. Their first release is the self-financed The Official Bootleg, initially a 1,000-copy pressing of a 10-track demo that is later repressed in an 8-track version. The record brings them attention in England, and in 1981 they tour the UK with Hawkwind.

In 1982 they release Plug It In, which receives strong reviews and produces the single “Needle in the Groove”. The album is repackaged for release in the UK by Ultranoise and in France by Virgin. The band also tours with Wishbone Ash and releases Turn It Up in 1983. Phil Lynott then asks them to support Thin Lizzy on their farewell tour, including a slot at Reading Rock, which leads to a worldwide deal with Jive Records, except in France where they remain with Virgin.

Session work and later Mamas Boys releases

At Jive, Pat begins working as a session musician for other artists, including John Parr, Tricky and Samantha Fox. He plays guitar on Samantha Fox’s hit single “Touch Me”, and she also records the Mamas Boys song “Spirit of America”. Mamas Boys’ first Jive album is a self-titled release built from earlier material plus two new tracks: the instrumental “The Professor”, named after Pat’s nickname, and a cover of Slade’s “Mama We’re All Crazee Now”. A video for that song receives heavy airplay in the United States, where listeners are invited to compare versions by different acts.

The band tours the US with Ratt and Rush, then releases Power and Passion in 1985. They tour Europe, then the US with Bon Jovi and Ratt, and play Knebworth with Deep Purple in front of a large crowd. Later the same period, they tour Europe with Gary Moore. Tommy’s leukaemia affects the band repeatedly, and on later tours he is replaced at times by Jim Degrasso.

After a gap, Mamas Boys return with Growing Up the Hard Way and a revised line-up including singer Keith Murrell, who has also worked with Cliff Richard and in the musical Time. Murrell later leaves, and Connor McKeon joins after an extensive search. Don Airey helps on an Irish tour, and later Mike Wilson becomes the fourth singer in as many years. A live album, Live Tonite, appears on Music For Nations in 1991, followed by Relativity on CTM in 1992. The group then experiments with a new name, The Government, releasing “Judgement Day” and playing a showcase in London, before contractual obligations bring them back for their final Mamas Boys shows in Switzerland in December 1993.

Celtus and work in Ireland

After Tommy’s death in 1994, Pat and John return in 1997 as Celtus. Their Sony album Moonchild leads to touring with Sheryl Crow, including a date at the Royal Albert Hall, and later shows with Paul Carrack. In 1998 they receive the Irish World Music Award for Best Album of the Year, ahead of U2, The Corrs and Enya. They continue with Portrait in 1999, then record Rooted independently after Sony drops them. The band also plays the Irish Festival at Finsbury Park and later signs to Evangeline Records, which issues the live album Live 2000 and the final Celtus studio album What Goes Around in 2001.

Pat then moves back to Lough Erne to raise his daughter and works again as a session musician and music teacher. He is asked to help local band The Painkillers and soon tours Ireland with Pat McManus and The Painkillers. In late 2003 he becomes a full-time member of Sligo band Indian while also working with The Painkillers. In 2005 he leaves The Painkillers and starts Pat McManus and Hi-Voltage, which plays its first gig in Cavan and tours Ireland.

Solo work and the Pat McManus Band

His first solo album, In My Own Time, appears in 2007 and is also released across Europe by Bad Reputation Records in France with different artwork. He later forms the Pat McManus Band with Paul Faloon on drums and Gordon Sheridan on bass. The group records a live DVD in France in 2008 and tours widely in Europe, including appearances at the Harley Davidson Festival in St Tropez, Rock The Wolves in Switzerland, The Guitar Festival in Corsica, St Julian Guitar Festival in Geneva and Raismes Fest in France. At Raismes Fest a live DVD is filmed.

The Pat McManus Band also works with guest musicians Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash and Bernie Marsden, formerly of Whitesnake and Alaska. The group records the studio album 2pm, a 14-track set of new songs written by Pat, and continues to tour Europe.