A 16-year-old rising star from Ballybofey has revealed she will be performing on one of the most legendary New Year programmes on television.
Blues singer and guitarist Muireann Bradley has been invited to appear on Jools Holland’s New Year’s Eve Hootenanny on BBC2.
“I will be ringing in the New Year with not only Jools and his amazing Rhythm & Blues Orchestra but the legend that is Rod Stewart, the fantastic Ruby Turner, PP Arnold, the SugaBabes, Olivia Dean, Joss Stone, RAYE, Paul Jones, the Mary Wallopers and the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards,” Muireann revealed.
Muireann’s career has been on an upward trajectory in 2023, boosted by the release of her debut album, ‘I Kept These Old Blues’ last week. She swung into fame for her guitar skills in 2019 and is signed with American traditionalist label Tompkins Square.
The young musician is inspired by her father playing the old tunes and the sounds of the Appalachians a century ago.
Describing her main influence, she recounts: “I grew up steeped in these old blues in the hills overlooking the valley of the River Finn just outside the town of Ballybofey in County Donegal. My father would play this music constantly at home and wherever we went in the car and talk about it endlessly whether anyone was listening or not, telling stories about the lives of these musicians as if they were legend, mythology or the evening news.”
Outside of music, she is an accomplished boxer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete.
The appearance on Jools Holland will undoubtedly boost Muireann’s fan base even more and provide her with a very bright future in the New Year.
Don’t miss the show on 11:30pm – 1:50am, BBC2 on New Year’s Eve Night!
