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 and Mark Knopfler, 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.

During his solo career, Kennedy performed, wrote and recorded songs with artists such as Steve Earle (on Domestic Blues), Van Morrison (on The Big Picture) and Mark Knopfler (on The Sailor's Revenge).

Kennedy's first band was the punk band Sellout formed in 1978 at age 16.

The band was formed to support rock group Uncle Waldo, playing in a local Belfast club.

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, MBE.

10 Past 7 were signed to the Good Vibrations record label by Terri Hooley – who had discovered The Undertones several years earlier – and they released two singles before disbanding when Bap left Belfast for London to pursue a recording contract.

In 1987, after moving to London, Kennedy formed the band Energy Orchard, for whom he was the rhythm guitarist, lead singer and primary songwriter.

Although the band was based in London, all of its members had originally come from Belfast like Kennedy.

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.

Energy Orchard went on to establish themselves as regulars on the live scene in London, including a performance at the first London Fleadh in 1990.

The band also toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe and America, including several support slots with Van Morrison, Steve Earle and Jimmy Barnes.

Energy Orchard disbanded in 1996 with a farewell London gig on St Patrick's Day which would be recorded for the live album Orchardville.

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.

Domestic Blues, which was released in 1998, was produced by the "Twang Trust" of Earle and Ray Kennedy, and Earle played guitar and sang backing vocals on the record.

The album also features slide guitar player Jerry Douglas, guitarist Peter Rowan and singer Nanci Griffith amongst its session musicians.

All the songs on Domestic Blues were written by Kennedy except Angel is the Devil which was written by Earle.

Earle was later to describe Kennedy as "the best songwriter I ever saw".

The album was released on Earle's record label E-Squared and received generally favorable reviews.

It was also a commercial success, charting at number eight on the Billboard 200.

Several songs from the album were used for movie soundtracks, including Vampire appearing in the soundtrack for the Oscar nominated film You Can Count on Me, which also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Three other songs from Domestic Blues were also used in the film Southie.

The album, which was released in 2000 on Kennedy's Lonely Street Discs label, features bass guitar playing by Herbie Flowers, who is noted for playing the famous bass line on Lou Reed's hit song Walk on the Wild Side.

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).

Following the release of Lonely Street, Kennedy spent several years touring, including performances with Shane MacGowan of The Pogues and Pete Doherty of The Libertines, and at the respected Half Moon, Putney, which also regularly held the Rolling Stones.

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, was the basis of the character Camille in Jack Kerouac's book On the Road.

Following the releases of The Big Picture and The Sailor's Revenge, he toured the US and Europe with Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, who also produced Kennedy's 2012 album The Sailor's Revenge.

In 2012, the album's title track was used as the theme song for BBC Radio 4 comedy Happy Tuesdays.

After the release of Domestic Blues, Kennedy toured with Steve Earle alongside other artists on the E-Squared label, including Cheri Knight and The V-Roys.

While he was in Nashville, Kennedy developed a keen interest in the music of Hank Williams, whom Kennedy described as his "favourite song writer" and a major influence.

After he had finished recording Domestic Blues, Kennedy recorded an album of Hank Williams covers entitled Hillbilly Shakespeare, which featured pedal steel guitar playing from B.J. Cole.

The album had a very limited release as the first record on Kennedy's own label, Lonely Street Discs.

After returning to the UK, Kennedy briefly managed an Elvis impersonator named The King, and was the producer for The King's album Gravelands – a collection of songs by other deceased artists performed in the style of Elvis Presley.

The record became a firm favourite of John Peel and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Kennedy's continued interest in the music of Hank Williams and Elvis Presley led to him writing Lonely Street, a concept album based on the lives of his two musical heroes.