Bap Kennedy

Martin Christopher Kennedy (17 June 1962 – 1 November 2016), known as Bap Kennedy, was a singer-songwriter from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was noted for his collaborations with Steve Earle, Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan as well as for writing the song "Moonlight Kiss" which was on the soundtrack for the film Serendipity.

Kennedy was in the rock band Energy Orchard for many years and also recorded a number of well-received solo albums including Domestic Blues, The Big Picture, The Sailor's Revenge, Let's Start Again and Reckless Heart.

In 1980 after having played in several other local bands, Kennedy formed the band 10 past 7, with whom he received his first national recognition when they appeared on Channel 4 music show The Tube in 1983. The band was managed by Mark Kelly. – who had discovered The Undertones several years earlier – and they released two singles MCA Records gave the band a major record deal in 1988 and they would go on to release two albums with the label, before signing with Transatlantic for a further two studio albums as well as the live album Orchardville. The band also toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe and America, including several support slots with Van Morrison, Steve Earle and Jimmy Barnes.

Solo career Domestic Blues and Steve Earle (1998–2000)

After Energy Orchard split up, Kennedy received a phone call from Steve Earle, who offered to produce Kennedy's first solo record. Shortly afterwards, Kennedy joined him in Nashville, Tennessee, and recorded his first solo album. and Earle played guitar and sang backing vocals on the record. It was also a commercial success, charting at number eight on the Billboard 200. film You Can Count on Me, After the release of Domestic Blues, Kennedy toured with Steve Earle

While he was in Nashville, Kennedy developed a keen interest in the music of Hank Williams, whom Kennedy described as his "favourite song writer" The album had a very limited release as the first record on Kennedy's own label, Lonely Street Discs. It received generally positive reviews. Kennedy's ballad "Moonlight Kiss" from the album was later used in the soundtrack for hit Hollywood movie Serendipity (starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale). including performances with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues and Pete Doherty of The Libertines,

The Big Picture, Van Morrison and Shane MacGowan (2005–09)

The Pogues' lead singer Shane MacGowan provided guest vocals on Kennedy's next album, The Big Picture, with MacGowan providing lead vocals on the last verse of Kennedy's song "On the Mighty Ocean Alcohol".

The late Carolyn Cassady, another guest vocalist on the album, At the end of Kennedy's song Moriarty's Blues, Cassady gave a reading from her own book Off the Road.

The Big Picture was also a return to working with Van Morrison, who is a member of rock group The Pretenders.

After the release of the album, Kennedy was approached by former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, who asked Kennedy to play as Knopfler's support artist. Hey Joe was also chosen as a nod to this time period, as it had been the last song performed by Jimi Hendrix at the Woodstock Festival.

The song also features guest guitarist Henry McCullough, McCullough also worked with Paul McCartney and Wings. The album was followed by a successful tour of the UK, Europe and America, including the South by South West festival The album was a close collaboration between Kennedy and Knopfler, with the two artists having worked together on the project for 2 years. As well as producing the record, Knopfler had been heavily involved in choosing which songs to record for the album,

The album features several members of Knopfler's touring band, such as Glenn Worf, Guy Fletcher, John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick and Richard Bennett. Also playing on the album were session musician Jerry Douglas, who had previously worked with Kennedy on Domestic Blues, and James Walbourne of The Pretenders, who had played on Kennedy's 2005 album The Big Picture. including No 1 – Best of 2012 in influential American magazine No Depression where it was described as "truly a masterpiece from a man who is finally comfortable in his place in the world – The Celtic Blood on the Tracks". It was also listed by Mojo in the Top 10 Americana albums of 2012.

The album was supported by tours of the US, UK and Europe with Mark Knopfler.

Let's Start Again (2014–2016) After the Celtic melancholy of The Sailor's Revenge, Kennedy moved to an upbeat Americana style for the follow-up Let's Start Again. who produced several albums for Northern Irish alternative rock band Therapy?. Wallace was a long-time friend of Kennedy and had worked as producer for Kennedy's early band 10 Past 7. and has received widespread critical acclaim including a 5 star review from No Depression.

Reckless Heart (2016) Kennedy's final album, Reckless Heart, was recorded in early 2016, only a few weeks before his diagnosis.

The album was released posthumously by Kennedy's label Lonely Street Discs, in conjunction with Last Chance Records in the US and by at the Helm in the UK and internationally.

Personal life Martin Christopher Kennedy was born on 17 June 1962

He was the brother of Brian Kennedy. The family grew up on the Falls Road, Belfast, in the 1970s,

Kennedy left Northern Ireland in 1985 and worked as a labourer on building sites in London prior to becoming a professional musician. While living in England, Kennedy became a qualified diamond gemmologist, accredited by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. has since sung backing vocals on four of Kennedy's albums – Howl On, He died on 1 November 2016 in Belfast in hospice care from pancreatic and bowel cancer. He had been receiving palliative care at Belfast's Marie Curie clinic.

Discography Recorded with Energy Orchard Energy Orchard (1990) Stop the Machine (1992) Shinola (1993) Pain Killer (1995) Orchardville (1996)

Solo releases Domestic Blues (1998) Hillbilly Shakespeare (1999) Lonely Street (2000) Rare Live & Bladdered (2000) Long Time a Comin''': The Story So Far (2002)Moriarty's Blues (Standard Edition EP and Special Edition EP) (2005)The Big Picture (2005) Howl On (July 2009)The Sailor's Revenge (2012)Let's Start Again (2014)Reckless Heart'' (2016)