All eyes will be on a 17-year-old rising Donegal star tonight when at least two million viewers are expected to watch one of the most legendary New Year TV programmes.
Ballybofey blues singer and guitarist, Muireann Bradley, will appear on Jools Holland’s New Year’s Eve Hootenanny on BBC2. Last year’s programme attracted an average audience of over two million.
“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 before Christmas.
Watch Jools Holland’s annual Hootenanny on BBC 2 and BBC iPlayer from 11:30pm to 1:50am on New Year’s Eve
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 on BBC2 tonight.
Find out more about Muireann and listen to her music here.
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