About Damien Dempsey
Dempsey was born and raised in Donaghmede on Dublin's North Side. He trained along with his older brothers, and competed for Dublin as an amateur boxer before turning to music. He studied musical performance and management at Ballyfermot College of Further Education (the "Rock School") and his first EP, The Contender, was released in 1995 on the school's record label.
Dempsey's first commercial single "Dublin Town" was released in 1997, and reached number 18 on the Irish music charts. Hot Press praised the single, remarking that it was "an underground anthem for disaffected youth and closet balladeer alike". His first full-length album, titled They Don't Teach This Shit in School, was released in 2000 and contained a re-recorded version of this song. The album was not a major success so Dempsy took a break from his music career and moved to New York where he did some bar work for awhile. After he returned to Dublin, he was invited by producer and musician John Reynolds to record at his London home studio, and Reynolds produced a CD with backing vocals by Sinéad O'Connor and a guitar riff by Brian Eno. Sinéad O'Connor invited him out on tour with her and championed him.
In 2002, Dempsey released the Negative Vibes EP and again toured with Sinéad O'Connor. His 2003 album Seize the Day debuted at No. 5 in Ireland and achieved double-platinum status. In 2004, he toured with Bob Dylan and Morrissey, who later signed him to his label. Dempsey's third album, Shots, hit No. 1 in Ireland in 2005. He supported The Levellers and released his first live album in 2006. Shots was released in the US in 2006, and he toured with Willie Nelson in 2007. His fourth album, To Hell or Barbados, reached No. 2 in Ireland in 2007.
In 2008, he released a covers album, The Rocky Road, followed by Almighty Love in 2012, which entered at No. 3. His 2014 best-of album, It's All Good, reached No. 1. In 2016, he released No Force On Earth to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising.
Video
Damien Dempsey - Serious
Comments
Hugh Jorgen wrote on 2006-10-17 00:00:00:Long after all the Disposable pop fades, Damo's stuff will leave a mark and a resonance that will be not be forgotten. Honesty always wins out in the end. Now this is what I call Music. Unique stuff.
Declan Murphy wrote on 2005-11-18 00:00:00:
perhaps someday the begrudgers will wake up to how talented he really is
Declan Murphy wrote on 2005-11-18 00:00:00:
damien has a unique way of singing its a cross between a dublin accent and reggae with a voice filled with emotion a very underrated songwriter
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