Some call her the greatest female vocalist of all time. Whether you agree or not, there’s no denying that the woman we’re about to tell you about today touched an entire generation. Anyone who grew up with her music will understand.
The singer grew up in a very isolated part of rural Ireland, a place steeped in mystique and old legends. The entire countryside where she was raised was shaped by its rich folklore and timeless stories.
Born on September 6, 1971, in Ballybricken, County Limerick, Ireland, she was the youngest of nine children in a devout Roman Catholic family. Her mother named her after the Lady of the Seven Dolours.
Life wasn’t easy: her father, Terence, had worked as a farm laborer until a 1968 motorbike accident left him with brain damage, while her mother, Eileen, worked as a school caterer.
Despite these challenges, the star was raised in a modest, loving household.
”My childhood was sheltered, pure and trippy in a childlike way,” she once said. ”I talked to birds and cows a lot. I also confided in my dog. He was like my shrink –he never objected or looked disapprovingly at anything I did.”
According to several sources, the future artist was singing before she could even talk. By the age of five, her school principal recognized her talent, placing her on a teacher’s desk to perform for a class of twelve-year-olds.
She began with traditional Irish songs and learned to play the tin whistle at school.Continue reading…
