Lyrics In Conversation with Bobbie Hanvey, Pt. 2: Talking About Discovering Country Music - Susan McCann

When did you first realize, Susan, that there was such a thing as Country Music?

We had a record player in the house
That's where I was introduced to Country Music actually
Daddy bought us this record player
I was about 14 at the time
And my brother John who is two and a half years older than me
He was a great jiver, and he taught me to jive
We played records
That was the only source of entertainment we had, no television, no nothing

When I was 16 there was a local carnival in
You know the way they ran the carnivals years ago (marquees)
Marquees
The Irish National Foresters had their marquee in the village, outside the village
We used to call it Flynn's Border, that's where it was
They let you in
They let me in surely, but you'd be watched, you know
John Murphy's Celli Band were playing during the guest tea, however
That's how the music thing all started for me really

You fronted that band

I did front the band

How did you get the job?

I'll tell you how I got the job
I sang at school concerts and sang in school every day
And when it would be raining Miss Larkin would take us in
Of course I was always called up to sing, instead of out playing in the yard
We'd have a wee concert
So all the local men in Forkhill knew that I could sing a bit
'Course I was at the marquee
And Andy Judge and Ownie Smith asked John Murphy if I could go up and sing a song

And I went up and of course what did I sing
A Mothers Love is a Blessing, 'cause it was the only one I knew the whole way through
A few days later John Murphy came back up in the van
And asked dad if I would join the band
Sure I was mad to joining the band
He said on one condition that you pick her up from the door and you leave her back to the door

What age were you then Susan?

I was almost 16
And I joined that band, and in that band of course then I met Dennis

Music was my life, from that day
It was October of '64-'65
I started in Saint Patrick's Hall in Keady
That was the first time I ever sang, like in public