‘Gifted’ singer and songwriter Ron Kavana leaves a rich legacy

LEGEND has it that when the late Ron Kavana — Ronnie Kavanagh as he was then — was a member of Loudest Whisper, the Fermoy band never had so much press attention, with stories appearing regularly in the papers in those days before social media.

The problem, though, was that almost none of those stories were true.

There were echoes of that in recent days when several eulogies appeared online, many innocently repeating various colourful elaborations that bore little relation to reality.

For such a great Bob Dylan fan, Mr Kavana’s own self-mythologising might sometimes have made Bob himself smile, or even blush.

What is indisputably true, though, is that the Fermoy-born musician, historian, singer and songwriter, who ed away on May 4 after a long illness, played with some of the world’s most influential musicians in folk, rock, soul, and blues, and was himself a hugely influential songwriter, musician, and performer.

He toured with The Pogues, making numerous appearances on If I Should Fall From Grace With God, and he co-wrote two songs with Pogue Terry Woods, Every Man Is A King (In The US of A) and Young Ned Of The Hill.

Uncredited, he played guitar on Shane MacGowan’s and Sinead O’Connor’s Haunted, and he was rumoured to have been the one to name Shane’s rival band, of which he was a member for a while, The Popes.

His own band, Alias Ron Kavana, was named Best Live Act in the World three years running by Folk Roots Magazine, and The Village Voice called him “a hard-hitting, no-nonsense realist”.

Born in Fermoy to an Irish father, Joe, and an American-born Irish mother, Dolores, he started out with The Wizards, a precursor to Loudest Whisper.

Brian O’Reilly’s musical The Children of Lir debuted in Fermoy in January, 1973, with Mr Kavana in the lead role, “a superb actor”, Mr O’Reilly recalled.

A year later, Loudest Whisper recorded their first album, The Children of Lir, with Mr Kavana’s version of Lir’s Lament ed by Mr O’Reilly as “magnificent”.

“He was an outstanding talent and a colourful character with a wonderful voice,” Mr O’Reilly said.

Moving to London in the late 1970s, he landed a job at Rock On Records, replacing Philip Chevron, who had departed to work full-time with The Radiators From Space. Both men would later become part of The Pogues.

Founded in 1977, Kavana’s Krisis Band, later Juice On The Loose, were regulars at the Hope and Anchor in Islington, and the house band at Ace Records, playing in the U.S with the likes of Gatemouth Brown, Champion Jack Dupree, Slim Gaillard, Clarence Frogman Henry, Memphis Slim, and Dr John.

During that time, Mr Kavana also played with such bands as The Balham Alligators, The Alexis Korner Band, and Panama Red.

Cork folk legend Jimmy Crowley still has the key to Mr Kavana’s flat in Highgate.

“He gave it to me the Saturday morning after a big session the night before, and he said ‘Jimmy, you might need this some time. Don’t ever be stuck in London’,” Mr Crowley recalled.

“Ron was just great company, he was rock’n’roll, he was wild, but I loved him very much. He was a great songwriter.” Juice On The Loose released their eponymous album in 1981, and Mr Kavana’s first solo album, Rollin’ & Coastin’, was released in 1985. In late 1985 and early 1986, he toured Ireland with Elvis Costello.

Alias Ron Kavana released its first album, Think Like A Hero, in 1989 and Coming Days in 1991. A 1991 solo album, Home Fire, was largely a collaboration with Terry Woods. Their short-lived band The Bucks released Dancing To The Céili Band in 1994, and Alias Ron Kavana recorded From Galway To Graceland in 1995.

Taking a break from music, in 1995 he enrolled in UCC, graduating with first-class honours in Irish studies and film studies. In 2006, he issued a double CD, Irish Songs Of Rebellion, Resistance And Reconciliation, followed, a year later, by what many consider his masterwork, a four-disc set, Irish Ways: Story of Ireland in Song, Music & Poetry.

His friend, musician and songwriter Mo O’Connor, recalled an outstanding talent.

“He was an actor, a writer, a journalist with Hot Press, a historian, a singer, and a gifted songwriter. He was unique in every way.”

Singer Katie Theasby said it was unfortunate that he never got the recognition he deserved for his decades of contributions.

“He has some legacy left behind him, the amounts of musicians he gave the start to, opened doors for, is astounding,” she said.

“I will forever be grateful for his encouragement and for putting me on stage at Glastonbury.”

Family, friends and fellow musicians gathered at the Island Crematorium last Tuesday for a send-off that was, by turns, poignant, joyous, irreverent and moving.

Mr Kavana’s son-in-law, Matthew, paid tribute to a devoted father who adored his daughter, Georgia, and a doting grandfather, and a live session followed, with some of Mr Kavana’s friends playing tunes which were both haunting and raucous.

They played Reconciliation, The Flogging Reel, and The Bucks of Oranmore, in a virtuoso display of musical and emotional fluency.

Ron’s brother, Paul, spoke warmly of him, acknowledging his kindness and his complexity, before a 50-year-old recording of Lir’s Lament – “this last piece of music was probably his first” – was played as the ceremony ended.

“We all fell out with Ronnie at one time or another,” Paul said, to laughter.

“The trick was to fall back in with him again, and that was never too difficult when there were a few songs and a session going.”

Predeceased by his wife Breda (née Mulcahy), Ron Kavana is survived by his daughter Georgia, grandsons Matthew, Liam and Cillian, brother Paul, son-in-law Matthew, sister-in-law Margaret, niece Tara, nephews Ross and Colin, and his extended family and wide circle of friends.

Ron Kavanagh R.I.P.

He was Lir He was the Loudest in the Whisper.

He was the devil at the cross roads And Robert who bargained his soul.

He was the stag in The Stag’s Head And over yonder The king of Tonder.

He was a Pogue And a rogue, Who held court in The back room of the Malbay With the chieftain Mungo During the pilgrimage To the shrine of Willie.

He was a blues man With a Cajun soul The spirit of rock n roll He was raw like Ronnie and MacGowan A bard of high renown.

He was never old and never young The greatest song unsung.

• - Mo O’Connor, May 5, 2024