Hi, this is Roger McGuinn.
I first heard Tommy Makem sing with the Clancy Brothers at the Gate of Horn in Chicago in 1958. He played the 5-string banjo like Pete Seeger and sang like nobody I'd ever heard. His enthusiasm was overwhelming! The punch he got on lyrics amazed me! It didn't matter what the song was about, Tommy devoured it and made it his own.
In 2001 I had the pleasure of recording with Tommy and his sons The Makem Brothers for my CD "Treasures From The Folk Den." We decided to sing "Finnegan's Wake" because it was one of the songs I'd heard him perform with the Clancy Brothers at the Gate of Horn.
Tommy passed away on August 1, 2007. We will all miss him and be grateful for his wonderful legacy of music.
Here's a video from the "Treasures From The Folk Den" recording sessions. Tommy's voice was so loud that he had to stand three feet from the microphone to blend with my vocal. I was just inches away from the mic.
