Born in Dublin and living in Belfast, Kyron Bourke is considered something of a town minstrel, an outsider telling tales in song of heartbreak, guilt and experience...all with a knowing grin. He was a founding member of the unsigned Irish cult band Les Fruits in the late 70s and early 80s. Signed to a solo deal later in the 80s, he scored a minor hit with "Danny". After a couple of albums, he gave up music and took up painting. When sales of his paintings were slow, he began acting with a touring theater company and for BBC radio. A phone call from the producer of the television quiz show The Lyrics Board is what brought him back to music. Kyron appeared weekly as a singing and piano playing team captain. He and that producer, Philip Kamph, began writing songs together, forming Kyron & The Strangels. When Kyron decided to start work on a new album, his tastes had moved to Jazz and Blues.
Kyron Bourke was writing songs for his new album when, around 2008, he learned that his younger brother Brendan's kidneys were failing. Kyron donated one of his. Recovery was difficult and the album was put on hold. Kyron remembers his brother picking him up at the airport on Christmas Eve in 2012. Brendan complained of a cold that he couldn't seem to shake. As it turned out, the medication Brendan took to keep his body from rejecting the kidney was also suppressing his immune system. The cold turned to pneumonia and Brendan died shortly after Christmas. Looking for a way to channel his grief, Kyron wrote what would become "Christmas At The Airport".
Refocused on his music, Kyron worked tirelessly with legendary producer Mudd Wallace and some of the finest musicians in Ireland. They completed "My Dirty Road" in 2015. Soon after, at Christmas, Mudd died. So the album was out there, sort of, but there was no promotion or touring or anything. Kyron went back to playing Belfast night spots and people would ask whatever became of the record.
Recently, a digital record company (Burgundy Records) expressed interest in "My Dirty Road" and Kyron thought, "Why not?" It seemed a fitting tribute to his brother and to his friend, Mudd Wallace. The album has been re-released and "Christmas At The Airport" has been released as a single. You can find both at Amazon. "Christmas At The Airport" by Kyron Bourke is a Blues drenched Jazz song reflecting heartbreak and loss and is extremely different from your usual Christmas fare. And well worth picking up...in case you missed it.
Refocused on his music, Kyron worked tirelessly with legendary producer Mudd Wallace and some of the finest musicians in Ireland. They completed "My Dirty Road" in 2015. Soon after, at Christmas, Mudd died. So the album was out there, sort of, but there was no promotion or touring or anything. Kyron went back to playing Belfast night spots and people would ask whatever became of the record.
Recently, a digital record company (Burgundy Records) expressed interest in "My Dirty Road" and Kyron thought, "Why not?" It seemed a fitting tribute to his brother and to his friend, Mudd Wallace. The album has been re-released and "Christmas At The Airport" has been released as a single. You can find both at Amazon. "Christmas At The Airport" by Kyron Bourke is a Blues drenched Jazz song reflecting heartbreak and loss and is extremely different from your usual Christmas fare. And well worth picking up...in case you missed it.
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