Brian Kennedy: Episode 224

The story of Brian Kennedy’s journey from the Falls Road in Belfast to becoming one of Ireland’s most successful musical talents is one that must be heard. Brian speaks openly to Jarlath about his difficulties growing up gay during the height of The Troubles including a British soldier shoving a gun into his genitals (6:00) and having a debilitating medical condition that only made him more vulnerable at school (18:00).

In fascinating detail, Brian explains how Simon Fuller became the guarantor on his first mortgage (31:00) before he was sacked for prioritising the Spice Girls over Brian (45:00), how a fear of aids in a 1980s London resulted in him being celibate for four years (37:00) and how he could have sang on Jeff Buckley’s legendary Grace album (51:00).

From having tea with Kate Bush (58:00) to why he is considering herbal treatments to tackle his recent cancer diagnosis (1:12:00), and much more, this is a truly fascinating conversation with one of Ireland’s most respected voices.

To access the entire archive of episodes in the series, download the Irishman Abroad android and iPhone apps for free in the app stores today (links below).

https://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/irishman-abroad-by-jarlath/id1101165812?mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=irishman.jarlath.com.anirishmanabroad&hl=en

The Irishman Abroad podcast is crowd funded and is only made possible by the listeners’ generosity. We sincerely appreciate your continued support. Donate the gift of £20 today via PayPal ([email protected]) and by way of thanks, we will send you a beautiful Irishman Abroad bag wherever you are in the world.

An Irishman Abroad is brought to you by Currency Fair. Currency Fair is the official partner of the podcast. To get great exchange rates and to avoid ridiculous bank and broker charges when transferring money to anywhere in the world go to currencyfair.com. Get updates on future episodes and live shows by following @jarlath on Twitter, visiting www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.