The Corrs are a Celtic folk-rock and pop rock group from Dundalk, Republic of Ireland. The members of the band are four siblings - three sisters and one brother - Sharon, Caroline, Andrea and Jim Corr. The band rose to prominence in the late 1990s, and have since sold over 55 million albums worldwide. They have had numerous number one singles and albums in Europe, Australia and Asia, and have received multiple Grammy Award nominations.
All of the Corrs were born in Dundalk, County Louth, the children of musicians Gerry and Jean Corr. They have an uncle, Peter Corr, who was a professional footballer who played for, among others, Everton and Ireland. In 1949 he was a member of the Ireland team that defeated England 2-0 at Goodison Park, Liverpool, becoming the first non-UK team to beat England at home.
The members consist of:
- Jim Corr (born James Steven Ignatius Corr, on July 31, 1964) is the oldest member of the band. He plays guitar, keyboards/piano and provides backing vocals.
- Sharon Corr (born Sharon Helga Corr, on March 24, 1970) plays the violin, and provides backing vocals.
- Caroline Corr (born Caroline Georgina Corr, on March 17, 1973) plays drums, bodhrán, tambourine, percussion, piano and provides backing vocals.
- Andrea Corr (born Andrea Jane Corr, on May 17, 1974) is the lead singer and plays the tin whistle.
In late 1995, before the start of their first tour, additional musicians Anto Drennan (electric guitar) and Keith Duffy (bass) were brought in to supplement the band's sound. Their positions became permanent, although they are essentially only sidemen and tend not to appear in the band's promo videos nor make any contribution to the songwriting. However, Drennan has been credited as co-producer on some tracks.
During their Royal Albert Hall concert on St. Patrick's Day, 1998, the guitarist was Conor O'Brady.
From 2004 onwards, with Caroline on 'light duties' or absent, Keith Duffy's brother Jason Duffy joined on percussion, with Kieran Kiely on accordion and keyboards.
While Jim and Caroline are the only siblings to be credited playing the piano for their tracks, all of the members can play the piano which was taught to them by their father, Gerry Corr.
Their first album, Forgiven, Not Forgotten, had its greatest success in Australia, Sweden, Spain and Ireland, gaining later success in the UK and in Canada. In 1997 they released Talk On Corners, which was principally popular in Ireland, eventually taking off in Britain, and later other countries. Both have been certified gold in the United States, and In Blue has been certified platinum by the RIAA. In 2004, they released a slightly more guitar orientated album, Borrowed Heaven.
Sharon, Andrea and Jim Corr performing in 2004
According to the Irish Recorded Music Association, The Corrs have sold over 60 million records, worldwide, not including singles. In January of 2006 and January of 2007, the Irish Singles Chart, and RTE Albums Chart released statements claiming that the band had sold closer to 90 million records worldwide.
