Andrea Corr

Andrea Jane Corr (born 17 May 1974) is an Irish singer, songwriter, musician and actress.

Corr debuted in 1990 as the lead singer of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group The Corrs along with her three elder siblings Caroline, Sharon and Jim.

Aside from singing lead vocals, Corr plays the tin whistle, the mandolin, the ukulele and the piano.

With the others, Corr has released seven studio albums, two compilation albums, one remix album and two live albums.

In 1990, Corr and her siblings formed a quartet called The Corrs.

Their career launched in 1991 when they auditioned for the film The Commitments in which Andrea gained a speaking role as Sharon Rabbitte.

John Hughes noticed the quartet when they auditioned for the movie, and agreed to become their manager.

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.

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.

Following on from the success of their debut album, they released Talk on Corners and In Blue in 1997 and 2000 respectively.

Originally Talk on Corners met with lukewarm success, until a remix version was released, when it topped the charts in many countries, and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom and Australia.

In Blue moved towards mainstream pop, placing heavy emphasis on electronic synthesisers.

It was successful, and was No. 1 in its first sales week in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and debuted at No. 2 in France and Norway.

It climbed to the top position during its second week in Sweden and Spain.

During the production of In Blue, their mother, Jean, died while waiting for a lung transplant in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, UK.

She was laid to rest at St. Patrick's cemetery in Dundalk.

Bono, Larry Mullen, Brian Kennedy and Paul Brady were among the attendees.

"No More Cry", written by Andrea and Caroline Corr for the album, was dedicated to their father hoping to help with his grief.

In 2003, Andrea recorded "Time Enough For Tears", a song written by Bono and Gavin Friday for the film In America.

She has played charity concerts to raise money for the Pavarotti & Friends Liberian Children's Village, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the victims of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland and The Prince's Trust in 2004.

She is an ambassador for the Nelson Mandela's "46664" campaign, raising awareness towards AIDS in Africa.

This track was featured on The Corrs' 2004 album Borrowed Heaven.

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.

Along with her siblings, she was appointed an honorary M.B.E. in 2005 by Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to music and charity.

Andrea Corr was born to Gerry Corr, a supervisor of a payroll unit of the Irish Electricity Supply Board (the E.S.B.), and his wife, Jean, a housewife.

She is the youngest of the five Corr children.

Older brother Gerard was killed when he was only three years old in a road accident before she and her sister Caroline were born.

Andrea discussed the devastating death with Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show aired by RTÉ Entertainment.

The family was raised in Dundalk, Ireland.

Gerry and Jean had their own band, Sound Affair, which played songs by ABBA and The Eagles in local pubs in Dundalk where they would often bring along their children.

With the encouragement of her parents, Andrea took up the tin whistle and was taught the piano by her father.

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.

Andrea took part in school plays at her school, Dundalk's Dun Lughaidh Convent.

Corr has also pursued a solo career, releasing her debut album, Ten Feet High, in 2007.

The album moved away from the sound of the Corrs and features a dance-pop sound.

Her next album, released on 30 May 2011, was entirely made up of covers of songs that were important to her when younger.

Corr is involved in charitable activities.