Country music queen Begley still on song
PHILOMENA Begley was born in Pomeroy, Co Tyrone, where she grew up with a love for country music.
One of eight children, she left school at 15 and went to work in Fisher's hat factory in Cookstown for seven years. Following this she worked briefly in Woolworths in Dungannon.
Her singing career began in the Old Cross Cil Band, which was renamed The Country Flavour in the 1960s. They kept this name for about 12 years before Philomena formed the Ramblin' Men in 1974. She regularly toured with Ray Lynam and they recorded many duets together.
In 1975, she had a huge hit with her version of Billie Jo Spears' hit song Blanket on the Ground which took her to the top of the charts in Ireland.
By 1977 she was undertaking a major tour of the United States and in 1978 she was invited to sing at the Grand Ole Opry. Since then she has returned annually to Nashville, been a guest of honour at the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York and has sung at both the Grand Ole Opry and Carnegie Hall.
Philomena has been married to Tom Quinn, who was also in the band, for 47 years. They have three children Mary, Carol and Aiden, who has also established a singing career for himself.
Fans can see Philomena perform at the UTV CountryFest 09, King's Hall, Belfast, August 1 and 2.
What sort of childhood did you have?
I had a brilliant childhood. We were a very happy family. We wouldn't have had a lot of money, but we had enough to keep us going. My father and mother were great. We had a bit of land and we had hay and corn and we put in our own potatoes, cabbage and carrots. We sort of lived off the land. We had a cow and hens and our own turf. When we were all very young my father was doing a bread run and whatever was done on the land after that.
What subjects were you top and bottom of in the class?
I was fairly good at English, but not arithmetic - especially not long division.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I had big ambitions to be a nurse.
Was music an important part of your family life?
My father was a good singer. There was always a sing song here and there. We used to go round a lot of barn dances and places like that when we were younger. I sang in the church choir and the school choir and went to the feis. When I went to work we used to sing in the factory. The girls would be singing at the tops of their voices, over the noise of the machines.They were the happiest days of my life.
Do you remember the first record you bought?
There was no such thing as a record player in our house at that time. We got one eventually, a wee green portable one. I remember buying a record of Gene Stewart's, Come on Home and Sing the Blues to Daddy. It was never off. I would also have bought records by Cliff Richard, Alma Cogan, Teresa Brewer, Doris Day, Bridie Gallagher and Eileen Donaghy.
Who were your biggest influences?
The first country singer I heard was Hank Williams. After that it was Patsy Cline, Katie Wells, Tammy Wynette, Jean Shepard and George Jones - those would have been the ones that influenced me the most.
What has been your most memorable performance?
I played the Royal Albert Hall the night after I was married in 1974.That would have been one of the biggest venues I ever played.
What song do you enjoy performing the most?
Probably, The Way Old Friends Do. It's an Abba song, but I recorded it.
Any songs you don't like performing?
It's not to say I don't like performing them, but there are songs that I've been singing a lifetime. The most popular songs, Blanket on the Ground and Queen of the Silver Dollar, there comes a time when you think maybe I'll not do those tonight, but there's no way you'd get away with it. Truck Drivin Woman and Old Ardboe are the same.
Do you think there was a golden era in music?
There was surely. In the early days, around the time of Clipper Carlton, Melody Aces, Johnny Quinn and Johnny Quigley.
Who would you like to duet with?
I really enjoyed duetting with Ray Lynam - who I still work with. We had three albums out. I also duetted with Mick Flavin and recently with Robert Mizzell, Margo and my son Aidan.
I wouldn't mind doing an album along with a few. George Jones would be one.
You are regarded as the queen of country music in Ireland. Who, in your opinion, is the king?
It has to be Big Tom.
Daniel O'Donnell is a big fan of yours, have you known him long?
I've known Daniel from he was a child. He used to come to the dances and he would ask me for advice. A nice lad. I met him recently and he's still the same Daniel to me.
Do you listen to other types of music?
I like every kind of music. I do like pop music. I used to listen to Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis Presley and the Beatles when I was younger.
I've bought a couple of Lily Allen's CDs, Amy McDonald and Amy Winehouse.
Do you watch the X-Factor and reality shows?
I do, when I can. I saw Susan Boyle on the news and I heard her singing a small piece. She was very good. I enjoy these shows.
Do you have an Ipod?
No, and there's a computer in the house, but I wouldn't even know how to turn it on.
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If you could swap singing for any other skill, what would it be?
Cooking. I'm not a good cook by any means, but I would love to have a nice wee restaurant serving ordinary homemade cooking like bacon and cabbage and apple tarts and custard.
I still bake soda bread at home.
When were you happiest?
I was always happy. I had a good life, three lovely children and a good husband. We were always a very close family. My mother is still alive, she's 95.
And saddest?
When my brother Patsy died. That was an awful. He was involved in the music business, because my father had a ballroom and he would have managed the bands. He died when he was 41.
How do you relax?
I love the soaps on TV, Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale.
I like reading romantic books like Danielle Steele. I bought Barack Obama's book but I haven't got down to reading it. I bought Jade Goody's last book.
Have you ever considered writing your autobiography?
I would be thinking about doing something eventually. Different people have approached me to say that they'll do it, but it would be a kind of a mildish book. I wouldn't think there would be too much excitement in it, but you'd get an odd laugh out of it anyway I would say.
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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