Damien Dempsey

Biography

1977, Dublin, Eire. Growing up in Donaghmede on Dublin’s Northside, singer-songwriter Dempsey gave up an amateur boxing career to concentrate on music. He studied at the Ballyfermot ‘Rock School’ for three years, learning about all aspects of the music industry from performance to the workings of record labels. After completing his studies, Dempsey recorded and released 1995’s Contender EP (as Dempsey). The release provided an early indication of Dempsey’s musical style, drawing on folk, reggae, rap and traditional folk music Two years later he released the reggae-tinged ‘Dublin Town’, that broke into the Irish Top 20 and received extensive radio play on many Dublin stations. Dempsey then spent a brief period in New York working and performing at the Irish bar Rocky Sullivan’s. He returned to Ireland to complete They Don’t Teach This Shit In School. Released in 2000, the album established Dempsey as a provocative and...

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