One of Ireland’s best-loved ambassadors of comedy and music Brendan Grace is celebrating over thirty years in show business. Having conquered Ireland many years ago, he is growing in popularity in the United States and divides his time between the sunny Florida home he shares with his wife of over thirty years and his four grown-up children Amanda, Melanie, Bradley and Brendan Patrick, and his native Dublin– and it’s clear that home is where the heart is.
For the popular Dub, coming back to perform in Ireland is always special and his impressive CV speaks for itself– for over three decades he’s been at the helm of the professional scene and according to the man himself, it’s all because of a favourite Aunt!
“I have an Aunt, Wyn Meyler, who now lives in South Carolina. She was a very famous model in Ireland when I was young and I was always impressed that every hotel porter and taxi driver seemed to know her. She used to take me to the Gresham Hotel for tea and I was very impressed by the life she led and it probably gave me a taste of the good life.
I also worked in my Uncle’s pub on Wexford Street (now the Mean Fiddler) in the early 1960s. It was a singing pub and I used to sing a couple of songs like ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’ and ‘Lovely Leitrim’. I wasn’t paid but that didn’t matter. Singing in the pub and seeing my aunt being recognised were probably the two most important things that encouraged me to go into show business.”
Brendan began his professional career as a singer with ‘The Gingermen’, prior to emigrating to Canada in 1971 to pursue solo work. His natural delivery and comic flair shone through and he went on to become one of Ireland’s most successful comedians. He created the lovable rogue ‘Bottler’ (pictured) and his own composition ‘Combine Harvester’ reached number one in the charts in 1980.
It was a chance meeting in 1991 that proved instrumental in him making his mark on the international scene. Brendan was asked to entertain musical legends Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Liza Minnelli at a private function in his native Dublin and the response from ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ himself was more than he could have wished for.
It led to an offer of secure employment in the US for Brendan, who admits he pondered over the decision for some time. “When we went, we decided to try it for two years at the most,” he says of that time. “It was a case of just going and seeing what would happen. Now we absolutely adore living here, with the weather and the way of life. But Ireland is and always will be home.”
Three decades on from those tentative early days on stage, Brendan enjoys sell-out runs in many establishments including Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre and appearing before a live audience has always been an unforgettable experience. “I was the person who stepped into Jack Cruise’s shoes at the Olympia Theatre after his death,” he reveals. “He was a hard act to follow, but I did it. I would like to acknowledge the fact that people like Jack, Cecil Sheridan, Maureen Potter, Danny Cummins, Chris Casey and Val Fitzpatrick are all the people I tried to emulate when I went into the theatre. Here were the people who influenced me the most.”
Coming home and seeing the response of the Irish is clearly very special to this veteran of comedy. “To receive a standing ovation every night is really more important than money,” he says. “Words cannot describe the feeling you get when a packed theatre stands on its feet. It is very emotional. Being a Dub I used to close the show with ‘Dublin in the Rare Oul’ Times’ but some nights I had to let the audience sing it. I just couldn’t. I had to hold myself back from breaking down. Without a doubt those times have been the highlights of my career.”
Brendan’s selfless work for children’s charities has won him many accolades. He was appointed President of Ireland’s Performing Artists Trust Society and he also received an honour which was bestowed on him by former Taoiseach Charlie Haughey, making him a Commissioner Of Peace in Ireland.