Black, Mary

Mary Black (1955-) folk music singer.

Mary Black was born in Dublin on 23 May 1955. Raised on Charlemont Street, she grew up in a musical household along with her siblings Frances, Michael, Shay and Martin.

Her professional career as a singer began in the mid 1970s when she joined the group General Humbert. She released her debut solo album 'Mary Black' in 1982, produced with her long-time collaborator Declan Sinnott. Around this time, she also recorded and toured with the acclaimed traditional Irish group De Dannan. Her rising profile earned her several IRMA awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1986 and Best Female Artist in both 1987 and 1988.

She continued to build her reputation as one of Ireland’s leading vocalists with the release of 'By the Time it Gets Dark' (1987) and the widely celebrated 'No Frontiers' (1989). In 1992, Mary joined her sister Frances Black and fellow Irish artists Eleanor McEvoy, Dolores Keane, Sharon Shannon and Maura O’Connell to record the landmark compilation 'A Woman’s Heart'.

Throughout her career, Mary Black also performed with her siblings under the name The Black Family, and she has collaborated with a range of international artists, including Joan Baez. More recently, she has shared the stage and studio with her daughter, Róisín O, continuing the family’s musical legacy.