Note: This blog was updated in 2024 to add an oral history interview video, to convert it into a Homegrown Plus blog.
Last Summer I profiled Billy McComiskey, Irish-American button accordion player, National Heritage Fellow, and leader in the east coast Irish traditional music scene. I promised to update our readers when the concert went online. I cheated a little bit, since the concert has been up for a while…but I wanted to give Billy’s fans a St. Patrick’s Day treat. So, for all of us at the American Folklife Center, happy St. Patrick’s Day. In the player below, please enjoy the Billy McComiskey Family Band. After that, watch my interview with Billy! (You can also view the concert on YouTube at this link.)
Watch the Billy McComiskey Family Band Concert in the Player Below!
If you enjoyed the concert and want some background on Billy and his music, please watch my interview with Billy below. Along with the two of us, we had Billy’s son Sean and his longtime friend (and mine) Myron Bretholz to talk about Billy’s importance to them and to Irish music.