Andrea Corr

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Andrea Corr
Andrea Corr performing at Glastonbury, 1999.
Andrea Corr performing at Glastonbury, 1999.
Background information
Birth name Andrea Jane Corr
Born 17 May 1974 (1974-05-17) (age 34)
Origin Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland
Genre(s) Pop, Rock, Celtic
Occupation(s) Singer-Songwriter, Actor
Instrument(s) Tin whistle, Vocals, Piano
Years active 1990-present
Label(s) 143 Records (until 2002)
Lava Records (until 2002)
Atlantic Records
Warner Music Group
Associated acts The Corrs
Website Andrea Corr's Official Website

Andrea Jane Corr (born 17 May 1974) is an Irish singer, and actor. Corr debuted in 1990 as the frontwoman of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group, The Corrs, which consists of herself and her three siblings, Caroline, Sharon and Jim. As a band, they are notable for their hit singles, including their debut "Runaway" and "Breathless." Aside from singing lead vocals, she can play the tin whistle and the piano which was taught by her father.[1]

With The Corrs, she has released five studio albums, two compilation albums, one remix album and two live albums. The Corrs are currently on hiatus because Sharon, Jim and Caroline are raising their children, while Andrea is pursuing a solo career, releasing her debut album, Ten Feet High, in 2007.[2][3] The album moved away from the folk-rock genre of The Corrs, and features a darker, edgier dance-pop sound.[4]

Corr is involved in philanthropic activities. She has played charity concerts to raise money for the Pavarotti & Friends Liberian Children's Village, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, the victims of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland and The Prince's Trust in 2004.[5][6][7][8] She is an ambassador for the Nelson Mandela's "46664" campaign, raising awareness towards AIDS in Africa.[9] During the Edinburgh Live 8 on 2 July 2005, The Corrs performed "When the Stars Go Blue" alongside Bono to promote the Make Poverty History campaign.[10] As a result, she had received an honorary MBEs for her contribution to music and charity in 2005.[11][12]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Corr was born to Gerry Corr, a manager of the payroll department of the Irish Electricity Board, and his wife, Jean, a homemaker.[13] They raised their family in Dundalk, Ireland.[14] Gerry and Jean had their own band, Sound Affair, which played songs by ABBA and The Eagles in local pubs where they would often bring along their children.[15][16]

With the encouragement of her parents, Corr took up the tin whistle[17] and was taught the piano by their father.[1] Throughout their teenage years, she and her siblings would often practice in Jim's bedroom at a house he had rented. Andrea sang lead vocals, Sharon played the violin and both Caroline and Jim played keyboards.[18] Corr took part in school plays at her school, Dundalk's Dun Lughaidh convent.[19]

[edit] 1990-2006: The Corrs

Main article: The Corrs

In 1990, she and her siblings formed a quartet called The Corrs.[20][21] Their career launched in 1991 when they auditioned for the film The Commitments where Andrea got a speaking role as Sharon Rabbitte.[22] John Hughes noticed the quartet when they auditioned for the movie, and agreed to become their manager.[23] The Corrs' signed with Atlantic Records in 1995 and travelled to North America to record their debut album, Forgiven, Not Forgotten. The album featured six instrumental selections among its Celtic-influenced tracks. When released, it was successful in Ireland, Australia, Japan, and Spain. Success in the United States and the United Kingdom, however, was not immediately forthcoming.[20] The album reached platinum status in the United Kingdom and Australia, and quadruple platinum in Ireland, which made it one of the most popular debuts by an Irish group.[24][25][26][27]

Following the success of their debut album, the Corrs' released Talk On Corners and In Blue in 1997 and 2000 respectively.[28] Talk on Corners was met with lukewarm success but when a remix version was released, it topped the charts in many countries, and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom and Australia.[29][30] In Blue moved towards mainstream pop, placing heavy emphasis on electronic synthesisers. It was successful, and was #1 in its first sales week in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and debuted at #2 in France and Norway. It climbed to the top position during its second week in Sweden and Spain.[31]

During the production of In Blue, Corr's mother, Jean, died while waiting for a lung transplant in Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.[32] She was laid to rest at St. Patrick's cemetery in Dundalk. Bono, Larry Mullen, Brian Kennedy and Paul Brady were among the funeral's attendees.[33] "No More Cry", written by Andrea and Caroline Corr for the album, was dedicated to their father to help with his grief.[34]

In 2003, Corr recorded "Time Enough For Tears", a song written by Bono and Gavin Friday for the film In America.[35][36] This track was featured on The Corrs' 2004 album, Borrowed Heaven.[37] Borrowed Heaven was dedicated to their late mother, Jean, and their father, Gerry.[38] The band also dedicated their 2005 tribute album, Home, to their deceased mother.[39] The band covered many traditional Irish songs taken from their mother's songbook to commemorate their 15 years as a band.[40][41][42]

[edit] 2006-present: Solo career

While her siblings are on hiatus to raise their families, Andrea launched a solo career. She released her first album, Ten Feet High, on 25 June 2007. It was produced by Nellee Hooper, who has worked with Gwen Stefani and Madonna; Bono was an executive producer.[43] Her first single, "Shame on You (to Keep My Love from Me)" was an up-tempo pop song about men and women going to war and leaving behind partners they may never see again.[44] It received positive reviews from music critics; IndieLondon described the song as a "slick package" that was "polished, well produced and with a message that's difficult to ignore".[44] Losing Today's David Adair gave the song a strong review, writing that Corr's vocals were "crisp and uplifting".[45] Liverpool's Daily Post gave the song a three-star rating, commenting that it was "deceptively upbeat", which masked its "heavier message about conscription and war".[46]

[edit] Other activity

[edit] Acting career

Andrea Corr entered the film industry in 1991 with Alan Parker's film, The Commitments where she had a speaking part as Sharon Rabbitte.[22] In 1996, Parker was directing the film version of the rock opera Evita which starred Madonna. He was so keen on having Andrea in the film that he cast her as Juan Peron's mistress.[47] Corr provided the singing voice for Kayley in Warner Brothers' first fully animated film, 1998's The Quest for Camelot.[48] The film featured two new songs sung by Andrea and penned by David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager: On My Father's Wings and a duet with Bryan White, Looking Through Your Eyes. These two songs were ultimately featured in the soundtrack.[49]

Corr resumed her acting career in 2003 where she was cast as Anne in The Boys from County Clare. The film was not a commercial success, but she won the Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Actress in the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and was nominated for Best Actress in the IFTA Awards.[50] During The Corrs' hiatus, she was featured in the 2005 film, The Bridge and Broken Thread in 2006. Nevertheless, these films were not successful. The BBC announced that Corr will be involved in the play Dancing at Lughnasa which is due to begin at The Old Vic theatre in London next February.[51]

[edit] Philanthropy

Andrea Corr and her siblings are philanthropists. They have played charity concerts to raise money for the Pavarotti & Friends Liberian Children's Village, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, the victims of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, and The Prince's Trust in 2004.[5][52][7][8] They are also ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela's "46664" campaign, where they performed live to raise awareness towards AIDS in Africa.[53] During the Edinburgh Live 8 on 2 July 2005, The Corrs performed "When the Stars Go Blue" alongside Bono to promote the Make Poverty History campaign.[10] In recognition for their charity performances, the Corrs were made Honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 by Queen Elizabeth II.[54]

[edit] Discography

[edit] With The Corrs

Main article: The Corrs discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Compilations and remix albums

[edit] Live albums

[edit] Solo career

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role
2006 Broken Thread Lily
2005 The Bridge Mary
2003 The Boys From County Clare Anne
1998 Quest For Camelot Kayley (singing voice)
1996 Evita Juan Peron's mistress
1991 The Commitments Sharon Rabbitte

[edit] Further reading

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Absolute Divas - The Corrs biography".
  2. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (25 March 2006). "No new material planned for The Corrs", Digital Spy. Retrieved on 2 August 2006. 
  3. ^ Thomas, Charlie (2007-05-08). "Andrea Corr goes solo". Inthenews.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  4. ^ "Andrea Corr-Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2007-11-21.
  5. ^ a b "Ally McBeal star sued by real life lawyers". BBC News (1998-10-15). Retrieved on 2007-11-21.
  6. ^ McKiernan, Joseph (2001-04-13). "City honors the Corrs". Independent Newspaper. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  7. ^ a b "Madonna pens bedtime story for charity". BBC (1998-11-10). Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  8. ^ a b O'Doherty, Caroline (2005-11-08). "Corrs left breathless over MBE honor". Irish Examiner. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  9. ^ "46664 - 1 minute for AIDS in South Africa" (October 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  10. ^ a b "Live 8 Concert". Live 8. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  11. ^ "Honorary MBEs awarded to the Corrs". RTÉ Entertainment. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  12. ^ Ahern, Bertie (7 November 2005). "Award of Honorary MBE to the Corrs". Roinn an Taoisigh. Retrieved on 2005-11-09.
  13. ^ Borden, Timothy. "The Corrs biography - Contemporary Musicians". Enotes.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  14. ^ "The Corrs Cosmopolis English Edition" (December 1999). Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  15. ^ "The Corrs". Hello! Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  16. ^ Cornwell, Jane (1999). The Corrs. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd.. pp.16. ISBN 185227-840-4. 
  17. ^ "The Corrs lyrics and biography". Musicianguide.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  18. ^ Cornwell, Jane (1999). The Corrs. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd.. pp.21. ISBN 185227-840-4. 
  19. ^ Cornwell, Jane (1999). The Corrs. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd.. pp.99. ISBN 185227-840-4. 
  20. ^ a b "Andrea Corr - FamousWhy". FamousWhy. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  21. ^ Cornwell, Jane (1999). The Corrs. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd.. pp.102. ISBN 185227-840-4. 
  22. ^ a b "The Commitments' Official Website". Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  23. ^ "The Biography Channel - The Corrs biography". The Biography Channel. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  24. ^ Forgiven, Not Forgotten UK Certification. The BPI. 15 January 1999. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
  25. ^ Forgiven, Not Forgotten Australian Certification. ARIA. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
  26. ^ "The Corrs". VH1.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  27. ^ "The Corrs on MSN Music".
  28. ^ "The Corrs biography". Bandbiographies.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  29. ^ Talk on Corners UK Certification. The BPI. 1 April 1999. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
  30. ^ Talk on Corners Australian Certification. ARIA. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
  31. ^ "The Corrs Eye U.S. Success". Billboard.com (2000-08-21). Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  32. ^ "Stars of music world gather to mourn with the Corr family". Independent Newspaper (2000-11-28). Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  33. ^ Keogh, Elaine (1999-11-29). "Corrs share grief as mother is buried". Independent Newspaper. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  34. ^ "Corrs' main frame". Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  35. ^ "Bono & Gavin Frida: "Time Enough for Tears"" (2002-11-04). Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  36. ^ "In America (2002)". IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  37. ^ Uthayashanker, Uma. "The Corrs: Borrowed Heaven". MusicOMH.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  38. ^ "The Corrs & Heaven 'Borrowed Heaven' album". Music Remedy. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  39. ^ Maher, Gareth. "The Corrs's album 'Home'". CLUAS.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  40. ^ Murphy, Hubert (2005-09-16). "Corrs make a return to Fingal". Fingal Independent. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  41. ^ "The Corrs 'Home' album". MusicRemedy.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  42. ^ Weisinger, Mark (2006-03-07). "The Corrs: Home". Popmatters.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  43. ^ "Andrea's New Album". The Corrs Official Website (6 February 2007). Retrieved on 2007-02-06.
  44. ^ a b Singles of the Week (18 June 2007). indielondon.co.uk. 18 June 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  45. ^ David Adair. Single Reviews. Losing Today. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
  46. ^ David Adair. CD Review. Daily Post. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
  47. ^ Cornwell, Jane (1999). The Corrs. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd.. pp.88. ISBN 185227-840-4. 
  48. ^ "Quest for Camelot (1998)". IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-11-28.
  49. ^ Cornwell, Jane (1999). The Corrs. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd.. pp.105. ISBN 185227-840-4. 
  50. ^ "The Boys from County Clare (2003) - Awards". Imbd. Retrieved on 2007-11-28.
  51. ^ "BBC News | Entertainment | Corr to make London stage debut". BBC (Page last updated at 10:48 GMT, Wednesday, 22 October 2008 11:48 UK). Retrieved on 2008-10-31.
  52. ^ McKiernan, Joseph (2001-04-31). "City honors the Corrs". Independent Newspaper. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  53. ^ "46664 – 1 minute for AIDS in South Africa" (October 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  54. ^ Ahern, Bertie (7 November 2005). "Award of Honorary MBE to the Corrs". Roinn an Taoisigh. Retrieved on 2005-11-09.

[edit] External links

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