1. Joseph Ronald Drew was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor who had a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners.
21 Facts About Ronnie Drew
1. 2.
Ronnie Drew sang lead vocals on the singles "Seven Drunken Nights" and "The Irish Rover", which both charted in the UK top 10 and were performed on TOTP.
3.
Ronnie Drew's voice was once described by Nathan Joseph as being "like the sound of coke being crushed under a door".
4.
Ronnie Drew was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin in 1934.
5.
Ronnie Drew was educated at CBS Eblana and used to "mitch" and cycle up to Leopardstown Racecourse.
6.
Ronnie Drew was a Roman Catholic, and when asked in an interview with RTE about his faith, he stated that although he was a practicing Catholic, he didn't agree with the church establishment and its greed.
7.
Ronnie Drew had sung as a boy soprano before his voice broke.
8.
Ronnie Drew rejoined in 1979, but then left for good in 1995, though he did reunite with the group in 2002 for a 40th anniversary celebration.
9.
Ronnie Drew made several television appearances with the group between 2002 and 2005.
10.
Ronnie Drew recorded with many artists, including Christy Moore, The Pogues, Antonio Breschi, Dropkick Murphys, Eleanor Shanley and others.
11.
Ronnie Drew fronted a campaign to encourage the use of Dublin's light-rail infrastructure and, before that, the "My Dublin" ads for radio stations 98FM and FM104.
12.
Ronnie Drew narrated the stories of Oscar Wilde in his distinctive voice for a series released on CD by the News of the World newspaper.
13.
On 22 August 2006, Ronnie Drew was honoured in a ceremony where his hand prints were added to the "Walk of Fame" outside Dublin's Gaiety Theatre.
14.
In September 2006, Ronnie Drew was reported to be in ill health after being admitted to St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, to undergo tests for suspected cancer.
15.
Ronnie Drew had been a teetotaler for a number of years, with an occasional relapse, but he remained a regular smoker.
16.
Ronnie Drew appeared on Ireland's The Late Late Show on 15 December 2006 along with Phil Coulter, where he discussed his recent health scares.
17.
Ronnie Drew died in St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, on 16 August 2008, following his long illness.
18.
Ronnie Drew was buried three days later in Redford Cemetery in Greystones.
19.
On 19 February 2008, a song was released called "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" performed by a number of famous Irish musicians or musicians living in Ireland.
20.
Stacy and Ronnie Drew were featured as guest vocalists on the studio recording of the song, one of the last Ronnie Drew recorded before his death.
21.
Mary McAleese, then President of Ireland, said Ronnie Drew had brought great pleasure to people at home and abroad and had re-energised and refreshened Ireland's unique musical heritage; Taoiseach Brian Cowen described him as "iconic".