Derek Warfield (born 15 September 1943) is an Irish singer, songwriter, historian, and a former member of the musical group The Wolfe Tones.
Personal life
Born in the Dublin suburb Inchicore, Warfield was educated at Synge Street CBS.[1] He was apprenticed as a tailor until becoming a folk musician. He lives in Kilcock, County Kildare. On 1 March 2006 (2006-03-01),[2] Warfield's wife Nuala died, followed by the death of his eldest daughter on 28 September 2007 (2007-09-28).[3]
As of July 2017, Derek had not spoken to his brother and former bandmate Brian Warfield since he left the Wolfe Tones in 2001, except when Joe Duffy unsuccesfuly tried to get them to resolve their differences on the radio show Liveline in 2009.[4]
Derek Warfield is a singer, songwriter, mandolin player and a founding member of the Wolfe Tones,[6] performing with the band for nearly thirty seven years, writing and recording over 60 songs. As a founding member of The Wolfe Tones he featured on every album recorded by the band from 1965's debut album The Foggy Dew through to 1989's 25th Anniversary.
A solo album, Legacy was released in 1995 and was followed with Liberte' '98, Sons of Erin, Take Me Home To Mayo and Clear The Way. Warfield also has a video Legacy and two books, The Songs and Ballads of 1798 and The Irish Songster of the American Civil War.
Warfield has performed his music and songs at American Civil War events and commemorations at such sites as Gettysburg, Sharpsburg and Harrisburg with his band, The Sons of Erin. Warfield's 2002 release, Clear the Way is the second in his Irish Songs in the Civil War series.
The ballad "Take Me Home To Mayo", written by Belfastman Seamus Robinson as a tribute to Michael Gaughan, was recorded as a duet with Irish American Andy Cooney and is the title track of another 2002 Warfield release.
In March 2006, Warfield released his ninth solo album, a 36-song double CD of Irish songs.
In 2012, Warfield released an album called Bonnie Blue Flag, celebrating the Confederate Army and particularly the Irish people who fought for the Confederate States of America.[7]
He now tours with his new band, Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones.[citation needed]
Books written
A biography of Robert Emmet in two volumes, although not written by Derek Warfield, has been published by him,[citation needed] and a collaboration with Raymond Daly of Tullamore has resulted in the publishing of a critically acclaimed book of lyrics and histories of Irish songs called Celtic and Ireland in Song and Story.[8]
Controversies
1964–2001
In 1989, a contract was signed by Derek Warfield, signing rights to an American distributor, Shanachie Records. The contents of this contract were apparently misrepresented to the other members of the band, the Wolfe Tones, resulting in a clause that prevented them from recording any new material. Unable to reverse this agreement, they continued to tour, albeit without any new material.[citation needed]
In 1995, Derek Warfield released a solo studio album entitled "Legacy" as he was still eligible to record under his own name.[citation needed] With Warfield on vocals and mandolin, the music on this album was performed by a new band, although he was still touring with the Wolfe Tones. His solo releases continued annually until 2006.[citation needed]
In 2001, after a show played in Limerick, Derek Warfield departed the band to concentrate on his own career. Calling themselves "Brian Warfield, Tommy Byrne and Noel Nagle, formerly of the Wolfe Tones" the three would later go on to release "You'll Never Beat the Irish" and the subsequent album "Child of Destiny".[citation needed]
2003
In 2003, after a complaint from an Ulster Unionist politician, Roy Beggs, Jr., a radio channel dedicated to the music of Derek Warfield was removed from the in-flight entertainment of Aer Lingus. Beggs complained of the "Blatant promotion of militant, armed republicanism" by the playing of this music, saying it was the same as "the speeches of Osama bin Laden being played on a trans-Atlantic Arabian airline".[9] Aer Lingus removed the material from their flights stating: "It is something that should not have been on board and we removed it immediately we became aware of it".[10]
