Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Performing Arts Center will present Leahy, an award-winning musical group from Canada, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. Composed of eight brothers and sisters who are gifted instrumentalists, singers and dancers, Leahy performs a crowd-pleasing mix of folk, country and Celtic music.
The siblings’ life story reads like a Hollywood movie: a large family raised on a farm without a television in the small town of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. Their life story became the subject of a 1985 Oscar-winning film “The Leahys: Music Most of All.”
Leahy burst onto the international music scene with the 1996 release of their debut self-titled album. The recording swept the Juno Awards (Canada’s Grammy), winning a total of three Junos for best new group, best instrumental album and best country group. The album rose to number four on the Billboard world music charts and was featured on the soundtrack of the award-winning movie “The Hanging Garden.”
During the 1998 Juno Award telecast, Leahy’s live performance caught the eye of Canadian superstar Shania Twain, who subsequently invited the group to join her on her two-year worldwide “Come on Over” tour.
Renowned fiddler Donnell Leahy, who is married to Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster, leads Leahy. Leahy is returning to Hodgson Hall-this time with his own band-after appearing with his wife in a sold-out Performing Arts Center concert during the 2009-2010 season.
In addition to Donnell, the family members who make up Leahy are fiddlers Doug Leahy and Angus Leahy; drummer Frank Leahy; vocalist, guitarist and dancer Denise Flack; bass player, vocalist and dancer Siobheann Donohue; guitarist, vocalist and dancer Maria Leahy; and pianist, vocalist and dancer Erin Leahy.
Tickets for the Leahy concert are $20-$42 with discounts for UGA students and groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the box office at 706/542-4400 or toll free at 888/289-8497.
Underwriters for this performance are Amy and Hank Huckaby and Gregory J. Daniels.
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