Biography
Who is Niamh Kavanagh?
Early life and musical roots
Niamh Kavanagh was born in Glasnevin, Dublin. Her father played the saxophone and sang. She spent her childhood singing at family parties. She listened to Bonnie Raitt from a young age. Other influences included Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. She also liked Blood, Sweat and Tears.
The Commitments and early career
In 1991, she worked on the soundtrack for the movie The Commitments. She provided lead and backing vocals for the project. Her voice is on the songs Destination Anywhere and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man. She also sang Nowhere to Run on the second volume of the soundtrack.
Eurovision success and 1993 win
Niamh Kavanagh competed in the National Song Contest on March 14, 1993. She performed at the Point Theatre in Dublin. Her song was In Your Eyes, written by Jimmy Walsh. She won the national event with 118 points. This victory allowed her to represent Ireland in the main Eurovision Song Contest.
The 1993 contest took place in Millstreet, County Cork. Niamh performed as the fourteenth act of the night on May 15. She won the competition with 187 points. This song became a double platinum success. It was the top selling single in Ireland that year and reached number 24 in the UK.
Return to Eurovision and later work
Niamh Kavanagh returned to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010. The event was held in Oslo, Norway. She sang the song It's for You. This track was written by Jonas Gladnikoff, Lina Eriksson, Marten Eriksson, and Niall Mooney. She performed with Nikki Kavanagh and her cousin Niamh.
She played in the semi-final on May 27, 2010. She finished ninth and moved to the final on May 29. She performed tenth in the final. She earned 25 points and finished in 23rd place. This was the first time in four years that Ireland reached the final.
Family and personal life
Niamh Kavanagh is married to Paul Megahey. He is a musician from Carrickfergus, County Antrim. They met while working in a recording studio. The couple has two sons named Jack and Tom. They have lived in Carrickfergus for over a decade. She once thought about moving to the United States but decided against it.
Birthday and age
Niamh Kavanagh was born on February 13, 1968, which makes Niamh 58 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Niamh shares the date with 23 other famous people.
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