The Queen is not over the hill

LISTENING to the latest album by Philomena Begley makes one realise that the opening song of her new album I Ainâ€â„¢t over the Hill is appropriate as the Queen of Irish Country music is singing better than ever she has in her 50 years of recording. Definitely the quality of Philomenaâ€â„¢s voice on this album titled How I Love Them Old Songs is proof that the old adage is correct and that fine wine (or fine singing) gets better with age. One of the tracks Country Girls Never Get Old, a duet with Nashville duo Moore and Moore, has made the No 1 spot in the Artist Direct Charts in Nashville where Phil is this week celebrating her 50th anniversary in showbusiness at a concert on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Her current CD is all new collection, of old and new songs from Philomena Begley duets with her son Aidan, and her friends from Nashville Debbie and Carrie Moore. The promotional video and single release of I Ainâ€â„¢t Over The Hill has been well received by fans of the TV shows Hot Country and the Phil Mac Country Show on the Sky channel and it has also got extensive air play on local and national radio programmes. Other great tracks from the album include classics like Sentimental Journey, Raglan Road, the Johnny McEvoy composition Out to California, The Story I Tell You is True and Burning An Old Memory and new songs Waltz through a Lifetime with You and the topical Why is Sorry the hardest word to say. From her first steps as a young performer in 1962 to her celebratory golden anniversary concerts in 2012, Philomena Begley has been a great ambassador for Irish Country music. Born as the daughter of grocer, Joe Begley and his wife Josie, her early working memories centre on helping out in the shop and the adjoining hairdressers that the family also operated. She met her husband Tom Quinn when they were both members of the Old Cross Ceili Band and music is still very much in the family as their son Aiden Quinn sings and plays in Philomenaâ€â„¢s backing band and he is featured on the duet All the Road Running on this album. â€Å“We sing some duets during the live shows and of course I will also be doing duets with several American Country stars during my trip to the Grand Ole Opry this week,â€Â said Phil who is celebrating her 50th anniversary in the business in the company of a host of American stars in Nashville at present. â€Å“The Opry concert will bring back great memories for me, especially from the days when I sang with some of those US stars at the big festivals in Wembley,â€Â says Philomena. These days Philomena is also busy when she is off the road helping to babysit her two young grandchildren. â€Å“My daughter Mary has a two-year-old child while Aidanâ€â„¢s baby is over one year old. So Iâ€â„¢m very busy even at 70 both at home an on the road,â€Â said the Queen of Country with a laugh. After the release of several compilation albums of earlier hits and Country classics this CD of all new tracks will be eagerly anticipated by her fans. What they will hear here is a completely recognisable voice providing great songs in her unique Country style, in a voice that, like good wine, just seems to get better with age. â€â€ TG