Luke Kelly was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor from Dublin, Ireland. Born into a working-class household in Dublin city, Kelly moved to England in his late teens and by his early 20s had become involved in a folk music revival. Returning to Dublin in the 1960s, he is noted as a founding member of the band The Dubliners in 1962. Known for his distinctive singing style, and sometimes political messages, the Irish Post and other commentators have regarded Kelly as one of Ireland’s greatest folk singers.
As an actor, Kelly performed in the 1969 Dublin Theatre Festival, playing the role of Sergeant Kite in The Mullingar Recruits. He later played King Herod in several runs of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar at the Gaiety Theatre.
Kelly’s health deteriorated in the 1970s. Kelly himself spoke about his problems with alcohol. On 30 June 1980 during a concert in the Cork Opera House he collapsed on the stage.He had already suffered for some time from migraines and forgetfulness – including forgetting what country he was in whilst visiting Iceland – which had been ascribed to his intense schedule, alcohol consumption, and “party lifestyle”.
Polymer clue figure, 140 mm height
Late Autumn 2018 – Winter 2019
Backstage