1. Martin Christopher Kennedy, known as Bap Kennedy, was a singer-songwriter from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
19 Facts About Bap Kennedy
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Bap Kennedy was noted for his collaborations with Steve Earle, Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan and Mark Knopfler, as well as for writing the song "Moonlight Kiss" which was on the soundtrack for the film Serendipity.
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In 1980 after having played in several other local bands, Bap Kennedy formed the band 10 past 7, with whom he received his first national recognition when they appeared on Channel 4 music show The Tube in 1983.
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In 1987, after moving to London, Bap Kennedy formed the band Energy Orchard, for whom he was the rhythm guitarist, lead singer and primary songwriter.
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Shortly afterwards, Bap Kennedy joined him in Nashville, Tennessee, and recorded his first solo album.
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Bap Kennedy's continued interest in the music of Hank Williams and Elvis Presley led to him writing Lonely Street, a concept album based on the lives of his two musical heroes.
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Howl On was a look back at the Space Race of the late 1960s, with Bap Kennedy examining the lives and backgrounds of the astronauts and scientists who worked on the Apollo program.
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Bap Kennedy recorded a new album in early 2011, entitled The Sailor's Revenge, produced by former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler at Knopfler's British Grove Studios in London.
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Wallace was a long-time friend of Bap Kennedy and had worked as producer for Bap Kennedy's early band 10 Past 7.
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Martin Christopher Bap Kennedy was born on 17 June 1962 to Lily and Jim Bap Kennedy.
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Bap Kennedy grew up in West Belfast at the height of the Troubles, and his close friend and 10 Past 7 manager Mark Kelly, lost both legs in a no-warning bomb in Belfast in 1976.
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Bap Kennedy left Northern Ireland in 1985 and worked as a labourer on building sites in London prior to becoming a professional musician.
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In 2007, Bap Kennedy moved back to his native Northern Ireland.
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Shortly after returning, Bap Kennedy hosted a songwriting workshop, where he met author and former lawyer Brenda Boyd, who was participating in the workshop.
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Bap Kennedy later revealed on his blog that he too had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which he credited as being "the engine of [his] creativity".
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Outside of music, Bap Kennedy had a keen interest in the Apollo space program, which would be the inspiration for Bap Kennedy's 2009 album Howl On.
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In May 2016, Bap Kennedy started a blog on his personal website, detailing his progress after a sudden cancer diagnosis.
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Bap Kennedy died on 1 November 2016 in Belfast in hospice care from pancreatic and bowel cancer.
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Bap Kennedy had been receiving palliative care at Belfast's Marie Curie clinic.