Imelda May

The Irish singer Imelda Mary Higham, better known for the listeners as Imelda May was born in Dublin in 1974. May grew up with her two sisters and two brothers, and due to them she got acquainted with rock music. Once she found her brother’s tape with Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent’s records, and she just felt in love with that music. By the age of nine May became a great fan of rockabilly and blues, so she decided to devote her life to creativity.

Imelda’s professional career began with the performances in clubs of Dublin, where she communicated with the city’s best artists who helped her with the advice. Thus the singer mastered her skills and gained experience, and once her father asked her, if her heart was broken. Satisfied with the answer, he told his daughter that she was ready to sing blues. Later Imelda stated that it was the turning point in her life. Darrel Higham, a guitarist and a member of May’s band exerted a huge influence on the singer. The young people found the understanding in no time, and pretty soon it was clear that their relationships were going to be more than professional. Thus, they married in 1998. Imelda’s debut record No Turning Back was released in 2003, under the name Imelda Clabby (Clabby – Imelda’s surname before marriage), however the long play was reissued in 2005 under the name Imelda May, which is more common for the music lovers.

The artist’s second studio attempt Love Tattoo saw the light in 2008 and peaked at the very top of the Irish Chart. Excellent arrangements and May’s sensual and a bit rough vocals did their job – the musical experts enjoyed the sound and concept of the album, while after Love Tattoo release the number of Imelda’s fans increased. Moreover, she was invited to perform at the famous show The Late Late Show, and she got the prestigious Meteor Award in the nomination Female Artist Of The Year in 2009. So Imelda’s career was taking run, and such songs as Johnny Got A Boom Boom, Big Bad Handsome Man and others became real hits that are so much loved by the listeners all around the world.

Imelda’s discography was enlarged by the traditionally strong studio work, created in an easy-recognizable style in 2010. Long play Mayhem (2010) was very well received by the singer’s fans and it managed to repeat its predecessor Love Tattoo’s success by peaking at the top of Irish Albums Chart. Experts again noted the unique manner of performance: May’s songs can be hardly mixed up with someone else’s, and of course the energy is truly impressive. There is no doubt that Imelda found her sound, and studio long plays prove that perfectly. It does not matter which album you will choose to begin the acquaintance with this original Irish singer’s creativity – every single of her works is interesting in its own way.