Biography

Born in America of Welsh and Irish ancestry, my earliest musical memories were old Irish tunes like The Minstrel Boy, Bonnie Kellswater and the Ballad of Henry Joy McCracken. Of course, there many Irish Americans songs too.

Music was a fringe hobby and dormant, actually unknown talent, until 1982 when I commenced writing more than 50 songs of Americana history, mostly to use long driving miles productively. Even active involvement in my daughter's music and acting career left me clueless.

Then a benign event changed everything. While attending a Wolfe Tones concert in St. Paul, Minnesota and loudly singing every word to every song, I was invited by the couple sitting in front of me to join them in three days at the top Irish Performance Party in the Upper Midwest. The invitation was to Ed and Connie's Irish Party and the invitees were Ed and Connie personally. The moment I entered the room packed with nearly 100 performers, many native born who knew the real thing when they heard it, I was hooked. As the years have rolled onward I've never missed Ed and Connie's event. What a grad St. Paul tradition!

Since then my balladeer career has unfolded and my repertoire passed 175 Irish and Scot ballads.

Oft times I feel like the famous little pebble (the claddaugh) strewn on the wide stand of my Irish ballad heroes -- great artists like Chrisy Moore, Johnny McEvoy, Paddy Reilly, Jim McCann, Patsy Watchhorn and so many, many more.

Early education as a historian has melded with the music into my kind of Irish musical entertainment, and I hope yours as well. My most delightful honor was headlining at Emmetsburg Irish Festival with an audience including member of the Irish parliament (the Dail).

I'm wishing our paths will cross.

- Lyndon Griffin