Imelda May

Imelda Mary Clabby, known professionally as Imelda May, was born on July 10, 1974, in The Liberties, Dublin. Her early career involved forming her own band in 2002 and releasing her debut studio album, “No Turning Back,” in 2003. In 2007, she signed with Ambassador Records, which led to her second album, “Love Tattoo.” This album achieved commercial success, reaching number one in Ireland and garnering critical acclaim, and introduced her to a wider audience, including Jools Holland, with whom she later toured and appeared on his show, “Later… with Jools Holland.” Her contributions to music were recognized with the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2009 Meteor Awards.

May’s career continued to build momentum with her third studio album, “Mayhem,” released in 2010, which also topped the Irish Album Charts and earned a nomination for the Choice Music Prize. She performed with Jeff Beck at the 52nd Grammy Awards in a tribute to Les Paul and Mary Ford. Her visibility expanded through appearances on American talk shows such as “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Conan,” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” In 2016, she performed at RTÉ’s Centenary Concert, marking the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. The same year, she initiated a scholarship at BIMM music college in Dublin to support emerging artists.

Her fifth album, “Life Love Flesh Blood,” released in 2017, featured collaborations with T Bone Burnett and guidance from Bono of U2. This album reached number four in the UK charts and was presented at a special concert at the London Palladium. May also notably performed the Irish national anthem at a major boxing event in Las Vegas in 2017. In 2020, she released “Slip of the Tongue,” an album that shifted towards spoken word, and collaborated with Sky Arts on a two-part series, ‘Voices Of Ireland.’ Her sixth album, “11 Past the Hour,” was released in 2021 on the Decca label, featuring artists like Noel Gallagher and Ronnie Wood. That same year, she contributed a cover to “The Metallica Blacklist” charity album and made her acting debut in the 2022 film “Fisherman’s Friends: One and All.”