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Geococcyx
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Cuculiformes
Family:	Cuculidae
Subfamily:	Neomorphinae
Genus:	Geococcyx Wagler, 1831
Species
G. californianus G. velox

The roadrunner is a fast-running bird that has a long tail and a crest. The bird is found in southwestern United States and Mexico. The roadrunner is also called a chaparral bird and a chaparral cock.^[1][2]

Species[link]

Roadrunners are ground cuckoos and include about fifteen species of birds from the subfamily Neomorphinae of the Cuckoo Family (Cuculidae). Roadrunners are in the genus Geoccyx.^[3][4] Two species of roadrunners are the Greater Roadrunner and the Lesser Roadrunner. The Greater Roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus inhabits Mexico and the southwestern United States. The Lesser Roadrunner, Geococcyx velox inhabits Mexico and Central America.^[5][6]

Morphology[link]

Roadrunners generally range in size from 18 inches (46 cm) to 22 inches (56 cm) from tail to beak. Their average weight is about eight to fifteen ounces.^[7] The roadrunner is a large, slender, black-brown and white streaked ground bird with a distinctive head crest. It has long legs, strong feet, and an oversized dark bill. The tail is broad with white tips on the three outer tail feathers. The bird has a bare patch of skin behind each eye; this patch is shaded blue anterior to red posterior. The lesser roadrunner is slightly smaller, not as streaky, and has a smaller bill. The roadrunner is terrestrial; although capable of flight, it spends most of its time on the ground. During flight, the wings are short and rounded and reveal a white crescent in the primary feathers. Roadrunners and other members of the cuckoo family have zygodactyl feet (two toes in front and two toes in back). Roadrunners can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h)^[8] and generally prefer sprinting to flying. Roadrunners will fly to escape predators.

Vocalization[link]

Greater roadrunners often become habituated to the presence of people, but this one was particularly approachable.

The roadrunner has a dove-like "coo" that is slow and descending. It also makes a rapid, vocalized clattering sound with its beak.

Ogg vorbis file of clattering sound made with beak.

• Link to a greater roadrunner call

Geographic range[link]

The roadrunner is an inhabitant of the deserts of Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America.

• Habitat: Roadrunners live in an arid lowland or montane scrub and are often widely dispersed in the dry open country with scattered brush.
• Migration: Roadrunners are non-migratory birds that reside in their breeding area all year.^[9]
• Link to a distribution map of the Greater Roadrunner from the Cornell lab of Ornithology

Food and foraging habits[link]

Greater Roadrunner with a lizard

Roadrunners are omnivores and are opportunistic. Their diet normally consists of insects (such as grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and beetles), small reptiles (such as lizards and snakes, including rattlesnakes), rodents and small mammals, tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, snails, small birds, eggs, nestlings, and fruits and seeds like prickly pear cactus and sumac. The lesser roadrunner eats mainly insects. Roadrunners forage on the ground and, when hunting, usually run after prey from under cover. They may leap to catch insects, and commonly batter certain prey against the ground. Because of its lightning quickness, the roadrunner is one of the few animals that preys upon rattlesnakes.^[10]

Geococcyx is the only real predator of the tarantula hawk wasps^[11]

Behavior and breeding[link]

Roadrunners are commonly solitary birds or live in pairs. They are monogamous and a pair may mate for life. Pairs may hold a territory all year. During the courtship display, the male bows, alternately lifting and dropping his wings and spreading his tail. He parades in front of the female with his head high and his tail and wings drooped. It has also been documented that the male may bring an offering of food to the female.

• Nest: Roadrunners' nests are often on a platform nest composed of sticks (nests may sometimes contain leaves, snakeskins, or dung). The nest is commonly placed in a low tree, bush, or cactus.
• Clutch: Hatching is asynchronous and average a 2-6 egg clutch (the Lesser Roadrunners clutch size is typically smaller). Eggs are generally a white color.
• Parental care and sizes: Roadrunners have bi-parental care. Both sexes incubate the nest and feed the hatchlings, but males incubate the nest at night. For the first one to two weeks after the young hatch, one parent always remains at the nest. After the hatchlings are two to three weeks old they leave and never return to the nest. For a few days thereafter, the parents and young forage together.
• Reproductive Season: spring to mid-summer depending upon species and geographic location.^[12]

Thermoregulation[link]

During the cold desert night, the roadrunner lowers its body temperature slightly, going into a slight torpor to conserve energy. To warm itself during the day, the roadrunner exposes dark patches of skin on its back to the sun.^[13]

In popular culture[link]

• The Road Runner is a popular character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, distributed by Warner Bros.^[14]
• In the 2011 film Rango, the characters ride on road runners as a means of transportation.^[15]
• The Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico.^[16]

References[link]

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of BIRDS edited by Dr. Christopher M. Perrins ISBN 0-13-083635-4
• Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia edited by Michael Hutchins ISBN 0-7876-5785-9
• Handbook of Birds of the World edited by Josep del Hoyo et al. ISBN 84-87334-22-9
• Smithsonian: Birds of North America by Fred J. Alsop III ISBN 0-7894-8001-8
• Harrison, George. 2005. Comical Cuckoo. Birder's World, 19:56-58.
• Meinzer, Wyman. 1993. Beep! Beep! Better pull over, folks-it's the roadrunner. Smithsonian, 23: 58

External links[link]

Media related to Geococcyx at Wikimedia Commons

• naturefootage.com has video clips of roadrunners in action.

Jonathan Richman
Live at the Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2005)
Background information
Born	(1951-05-16) May 16, 1951 (age 61) Natick, Massachusetts, United States
Genres	Rock, New wave, proto-punk, singer-songwriter
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitarist, vocalist, saxophonist
Years active	1970 – present
Labels	Beserkley Records
Associated acts	The Modern Lovers

Jonathan Michael Richman^[1] (born May 16, 1951)^[2] is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing. He is known for his wide-eyed,^[3] unaffected and child-like outlook, and music that, while rooted in rock and roll, often draws on influences from around the world.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Born in Natick, Massachusetts, Richman began playing music and writing his own songs in the mid-1960s. He became infatuated with The Velvet Underground, and in 1969 he moved to New York City, lived on the couch of their manager, Steve Sesnick, worked odd jobs and tried to break in as a professional musician. Failing at this, he returned to Boston.

The Modern Lovers[link]

While in Boston, Richman formed The Modern Lovers, a proto-punk garage rock band. Other notable members of the group were keyboard player Jerry Harrison and drummer David Robinson, who later joined Talking Heads and The Cars, respectively.^[2] Many of the group's songs feature Boston-based topics.

In 1972 they recorded a series of demos with producer John Cale (formerly of the Velvet Underground). Among these songs were the seminal "Roadrunner" and "Pablo Picasso" which were eventually released on the group's post-breakup album, The Modern Lovers (August, 1976).^[2] The album was unique for its time, featuring Velvets-influenced basic three-chord rock ("Roadrunner" — based on just two chords — is an homage to "Sister Ray") at a time when glam and progressive rock were the norm.

Later in 1972, the group also recorded with producer Kim Fowley; these demos were eventually released in 1981 as The Original Modern Lovers. Despite playing live regularly, the Modern Lovers had a difficult time securing a recording contract. By late 1973, Richman wanted to scrap the recorded tracks and start again with a mellower, more lyrical sound, influenced by the laid-back local music he had heard when the band had a residency at the Inverurie Hotel in Bermuda earlier in the year. This stymied efforts to complete a debut album, and led to the breakup of the original Modern Lovers in February 1974.

Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers[link]

In 1975, Richman moved to California to record as a solo singer/songwriter with Beserkley Records. His first released recordings appeared on 1975's Beserkley Chartbusters compilation, where he was backed by members of Earth Quake and the Rubinoos; these four songs also appeared on singles on the independent Beserkley label.

In January 1976, Richman put together a new version of the Modern Lovers, which included original Modern Lovers drummer, David Robinson, along with former Rubinoos bassist, Greg 'Curly' Keranen and Leroy Radcliffe, on guitar. The albums produced by the new group found Richman turning away from electric rock music towards gentler acoustic textures, with a strong rooting in 1950s rock and roll (Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA" was part of his repertoire).

The album Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers was released in May, 1976 (three months before the earlier The Modern Lovers sessions were finally released) but David Robinson left the group soon thereafter, due to frustration with Richman's quest for lower volume levels, and joined with Ric Ocasek in forming the band The Cars.

After several months as a trio, Richman found a new drummer, D. Sharpe (aka David) - an accomplished avant garde jazz player on the Boston scene, who later went on to become a member of pianist Carla Bley's band.

Drawing inspiration from such artists as the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Paul Motian and Anthony Braxton, D. Sharpe replaced the traditional rock and roll drum kit with an eclectic assortment of percussion instruments, including a large African three-legged drum covered in zebra skin; a 1947 De Soto automobile hub-cap (cum snare drum); a rack full of various pot lids and bells hanging on strings; exotic cymbals with many tonal 'imperfections'; frequent use of mallets instead of drumsticks, and brushes with which he would sometimes simply 'play the air' (i.e., without hitting anything else), as could be felt more than heard^{[citation needed]}, especially in live performances, of the song "Afternoon".^[4]

Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers was released in 1977 and, just as this record began to climb the charts in Europe, Keranen left the group (to attend college). A subsequent live album, Modern Lovers Live, was released in 1978, featuring Asa Brebner on bass.^[2]

In the United Kingdom, Richman was recognised as a progenitor of the punk rock scene, and several of his singles became hits. "Roadrunner" reached Number 11 in the UK Singles Chart, and its follow-up, the instrumental "Egyptian Reggae", made Number 5 in late 1977.^[5] "Egyptian Reggae" was a version of Jamaican musician Earl Zero's reggae song "None Shall Escape the Judgment"; Zero was credited as co-writer on Richman's later versions of the track.^[6][7]

Back in Your Life was released in 1979 under the "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" moniker, but only about half the disc featured a backup band. The rest was solo work.

Solo[link]

Richman in Tokyo, Japan, performing live (September 17, 2006)

Following the Modern Lovers' final breakup, Richman went on sabbatical for a few years staying in Appleton, Maine, and playing at local bars in Belfast, Maine including the famous Belfast Cafe' and the equally well known diner and rough and ready bar next door to the cafe' called Barb's Place. While in Maine; Jonathan took his unique solo shows straight to bemused and unknowing audiences and became a local favorite. His years in Belfast, Appleton, and the great State of Maine, love, the bugs, the weather, and the water and trees of Maine show up often and regularly in his recordings and performances.

He returned to recording in 1983 with Jonathan Sings!, followed by Rockin' and Romance (produced by Andy Paley and engineered by Daniel Levitin). These were followed up with a brace of pop efforts (It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, and Modern Lovers 88 from 1986 and 1988 respectively). After the latter release, the "Modern Lovers" moniker was finally retired, and having begun a true "solo" career, he returned to a variety of musical genres: country music with 1990's Jonathan Goes Country, and Spanish translations of his earlier work (as well as traditional Spanish language songs) with Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar! (1993).^[2]

In 1993, he contributed the track "Hot Nights" to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Always possessing an ardent cult following, Richman has become better known in recent years thanks to a series of appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Another major profile boost was a key part in the Farrelly Brothers' 1998 film, There's Something About Mary, where he played half of a two-man Greek chorus that commented on the plot while performing in the framed action itself. He also appeared briefly in a bar scene in a previous Farrelly Brothers film, Kingpin. He also performed a song called "As We Walk to Fenway Park" for the 2005 Farrelly-directed comedy Fever Pitch.

Richman has continued his release schedule all along, with You Must Ask the Heart (1995), Surrender to Jonathan (1996), I'm So Confused (1998), Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow (2001), and Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love (2004). In 1998 a live album of Modern Lovers recordings from the early 1970s was released, Live at the Long Branch & More. There is also a DVD of a live performance, Take me to the Plaza (2002).

In live solo shows, he frequently tours with drummer Tommy Larkins, the other part of the two-man chorus mentioned above.

Personal life[link]

His first marriage was to Gail Clook of Vermont, in 1983. This ended in divorce sometime shortly before the release of Surrender to Jonathan (1996).

In 2003, Richman married Nicole Montalbano of Chico, California.^[8][9] She contributed backing vocals to the album Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love (2004).

He has a daughter, Jenny Rae, from his first marriage.

Influence[link]

Richman's work with the first incarnation of Modern Lovers is a major influence on punk rock. One critic called him the "Godfather of Punk".^[10] Artists as diverse as the Sex Pistols and Joan Jett have covered "Roadrunner". Boston ska-punk band, Big D and the Kids Table, have covered "New England" live and on their Gypsy Hill EP. A version of "Pablo Picasso" performed by Burning Sensations was included in the 1984 cult film, Repo Man. David Bowie covered "Pablo Picasso" on his album Reality. Velvet Underground founding member John Cale has a version of the song on his 1975 album, Helen of Troy, and continues to include the song in his live shows. Iggy Pop has performed "Pablo Picasso" live and wrote an extra verse for it. Echo and the Bunnymen covered "She Cracked" in concert in 1984 and 1985 and Siouxsie and the Banshees have a version of the song on Downside Up.

Richman's music has set the tone for many alternative rock bands, such as Violent Femmes, Galaxie 500, They Might Be Giants ("Roadrunner" reportedly inspired John Flansburgh to become a musician), Weezer, Tullycraft, Jens Lekman, singer Frank Black (who composed the tribute song "The Man Who Was Too Loud"), Brandon Flowers, Art Brut, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady & Lifter Puller and Nerf Herder who composed a song about him, titled "Jonathan", which appeared on the band's second album How To Meet Girls. British country rock band The Rockingbirds released the single "Jonathan, Jonathan" in tribute to Richman in 1992.

As a producer himself, Richman and drummer Tommy Larkin produced Vic Chesnutt's final album Skitter on Take-Off in 2009 which appeared on Vapor Records. Chesnutt opened for Richman at concerts many times during his later years.

"Roadrunner" is on the soundtrack of School of Rock. In the commentary, director Richard Linklater mentions it is often called "the first punk song" and wanted to include it for that reason, along with all the other seminal rock songs in that film.

A tribute album, If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman, was released by Wampus Multimedia in 2001.

Discography[link]

Jonathan Richman, live at the Soft Rock Cafe, Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (1983)

Studio albums[link]

• The Modern Lovers (1976)
• Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (1976)
• Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers (1977)
• Modern Lovers 'Live' (1977)
• Back in Your Life (1979)
• The Original Modern Lovers (1981)
• Jonathan Sings! (1983)
• Rockin' & Romance (1985)
• It's Time For (1986)
• Modern Lovers 88 (1988)
• Jonathan Richman (1989)
• Jonathan Goes Country (1990)
• Having a Party with Jonathan Richman (1991)
• I, Jonathan (1992)
• ¡Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar! (1994)
• You Must Ask the Heart (1995)
• Surrender to Jonathan (1996)
• I'm So Confused (1998)
• Radio On/Stop And Shop With The Modern Lovers (2 on 1) (1998)
• Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow (2001)
• Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love (2004)
• Revolution Summer (2007)
• Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild (2008)
• ¿A qué venimos sino a caer? (2008)
• O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth (2010)

Live albums[link]

• Live at the Longbranch Saloon (1992)
• Precise Modern Lovers Order (1994)
• Live at the Longbranch and More (1998)

(These three live albums are from the same three 1971-3 performances, but add and subtract a few different songs. The last two, combined, contain all the songs)^[2]

Compilations[link]

• Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1 (Compilation, four songs) (1975)
• "I'm Straight" and "Government Center", from the Modern Lovers' Kim Fowley-produced Beserkley sessions, first appeared on the Warner Bros. Records compilation Troublemakers (1980)
• "I Like Gumby"; On the Gumby compilation album - Jonathan Richman
• 1993, contributed "Hot Nights" (live) to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization.
• Performs "Stop Your Sobbing" on the 2002 Kinks tribute album This Is Where I Belong.
• Action Packed: The Best Of Jonathan Richman (2002)
• "The Origin of Love" on Wig in a Box (2003)
• "Our Dog Is Getting Older Now" on the charity album Colours Are Brighter (October 2006)

Singles[link]

US issues except where stated

• "Roadrunner" / "It Will Stand" (United Artists UP36006, 1975)
• "Roadrunner" / ("Friday On My Mind" by Earth Quake) (Beserkley B-4701, 1976)
• "Roadrunner (Once)" / "Roadrunner (Twice)" (Beserkley BZZ 1, UK, 1976)
• "Roadrunner" / "Pablo Picasso" (Beserkley PA-205, 1976)
• "New England" / "Here Come The Martian Martians" (Beserkley B-5743, 1976)
• "Egyptian Reggae" / "Ice Cream Man" (Beserkley 6.12 217, 1977)
• "Egyptian Reggae" / "Rollercoaster By The Sea" (Beserkley BZZ 2, UK, 1977)
• "The Morning Of Our Lives (Live)" / "Roadrunner (Thrice) (Live)" (Beserkley BZZ 7, UK, 1977)
• "New England (Live)" / "Astral Plane (Live)" (Beserkley BZZ 14, UK, 1978)
• "Abdul and Cleopatra" / "Astral Plane (Live)" (Beserkley 11813, 1978)
• "Abdul and Cleopatra" / "Oh Carol" (Beserkley BZZ 19, UK, 1978)
• "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" / "Abdul and Cleopatra" (Beserkley 6.12 311, 1978)
• "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" / "Hospital (Live)" (BZZ 25, UK, 1978)
• "My Little Kookenhaken" / "Roadrunner (Thrice) (Live)" (Beserkley 11819, 1978)
• "South American Folk Song (Live)" / "Ice Cream Man (Live)" (1978)
• "Lydia" / "Important In Your Life" (BZZ 28, UK, 1979)
• "That Summer Feeling" / "This Kind Of Music" (1984)
• "That Summer Feeling" / "This Kind Of Music" / "Tag Game" (Rough Trade RTT 152, UK, 1984)
• "I'm Just Beginning To Live" / "Circle I" (1985)
• "I'm Just Beginning To Live" / "Circle I" / "Shirin and Fahrad" (Rough Trade RTT 154, UK, 1985)
• "California Desert Party" / "When Harpo Played His Harp" (DRD 1D474, Spain, 1988)
• "Egyptian Reggae" / "Roadrunner" (1989)^[2]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Tim Mitchell, There's Something About Jonathan, London: Peter Owen Publishers, 1999, ISBN 0-7206-1076-1

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jonathan Richman

Imelda May
May performing live in 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Imelda Mary Clabby
Born	(1974-07-10) 10 July 1974 (age 37) Dublin, Ireland
Genres	Rockabilly, blues, jazz
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, composer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bodhrán, tambourine
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Foot Tapping, Ambassador/Universal Ireland, Decca
Website	imeldamay.com

Imelda Mary Higham (born Imelda Mary Clabby on 10 July 1974), professionally known as Imelda May, is an Irish musician and singer-songwriter. Born and raised in The Liberties area of Dublin, May began her career in music at age sixteen—performing with a number of local bands and musicians— before forming her own band in 2002. She released her debut studio album, No Turning Back, in 2003 and relocated to London, United Kingdom with husband and guitarist Darrel Higham after its release. Following an appearance on the BBC music programme Later... with Jools Holland in 2008, she released her second studio album, Love Tattoo (2009). May collaborated and toured with a number of artists following its release. Her similarly-received third studio album, Mayhem, was released in 2010 and earned her a nomination for the Choice Music Prize.^[1]

Although known primarily as a singer, May also plays the bodhrán, guitar and tambourine. Described as "a unique vocal talent," May is known for her musical style of rockabilly revival and has also been compared to female jazz musicians such as Billie Holiday.^[2] She won the Best Female Artist of the Year award at the 2009 Meteor Awards.^[3]

Early life and career[link]

May was born in Dublin on 10 July 1974 in the Liberties in the south inner city.^[4] She is the youngest of five siblings, with sisters Edel Foy and Maria O'Reilly, and brothers Brendan Clabby and Fintan Clabby. In 1991, She attended Senior College Ballyfermot, where she studied Art, Graphics and Printmaking. Her early musical influences were Folk and Rock & Roll, especially the music of Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. By the age of nine, she was a fan of Rockabilly and Blues, particularly Elmore James and Billie Holiday. At fourteen, she sang in an advertisement for Findus Fish Fingers. However, her career began at age 16 when she began touring the Dublin club circuit and she was occasionally barred from her own shows at Dublin's Bruxelles club for being underage. "I was getting tips from the best musicians in Dublin," May said. "One of them said, 'your voice is great, but it needs to roughen.'" It was around this time, when driving a tearful Imelda to a gig after a boyfriend break-up, that her father asked her, "Is your heart broken? Excellent. Now you can sing the blues."^[5] After moving to the UK in 1998, May began singing with Blue Harlem and Mike Sanchez.^[6]

Professional career[link]

May at the Azkena Rock Festival, Spain, 2010

May began her professional career in 2003, forming her band and releasing No Turning Back (Foot Tapping Records) under her maiden name, Imelda Clabby. Specializing in rockabilly music, the album was later re-recorded and re-issued by Foot Tapping Records under her married name in 2005.

In 2007, she joined a recording contract with Ambassador Records (a subsidiary of Foot Tapping Records), and recorded her second album. Love Tattoo reached No. 1 in Ireland and received wide critical acclaim. It caught the attention of Jools Holland,^[8] whom she later supported on tour, which led him to request that she appear on his well-known music show Later... with Jools Holland. She was well received in the United Kingdom, performing to an audience that included Jeff Beck, Elbow, and Roots Manuva. Her first two singles, "Johnny Got a Boom Boom" and "Big Bad Handsome Man", were released on 23 January 2009. She performed on Ireland's most popular television show, The Late Late Show. She won Female Artist of the Year at the 2009 Meteor Awards. May has also toured the United States including, most recently, a tour with Jamie Cullum. On 14 August 2009, she appeared on RTÉ's Other Voices singing "Johnny Got a Boom Boom" and an unplugged version of "Big Bad Handsome Man".

On 31 January 2010, she performed at the 52nd Grammy Awards with Jeff Beck in tribute to Les Paul.^[9] After some promotional performances at festivals, such as the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands,^[10] she released her third studio album, Mayhem, in Ireland on 3 September 2010 — again reaching No. 1 in the Irish Album Charts — and in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2010.^[11][12] On 18 July 2011, May made her network television debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performing "Mayhem," in promotion of the album's recent release in the U.S. and later appeared on Conan on 8 August.

May contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "I'm Looking for Someone to Love" for the tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, released on 6 September 2011.

Performances with other artists[link]

May has shared the stage with Wanda Jackson, Alison Moyet, Lou Reed, David Gilmour, Sharon Corr, The Supremes, Brian Setzer, The Dubliners, Madeleine Peyroux, Matt Bianco, Elvis Costello, Jools Holland, Jeff Beck and Meat Loaf . She has worked with producers Tony Visconti and Peter Asher. She also sings in The Candy Box Burlesque Club in Birmingham. She has appeared alongside The World Famous Palookaville! Burlesque Orchestra at every Candy Box show since it started in February 2006.

May has sung for the Flashmonkey burlesque band, a popular night at Cafe De Paris in London, also featuring trumpeter/composer John Eacott.

In 2009, she recorded the official Children in Need single alongside Cara Dillon, Terry Wogan, Hayley Westenra, and others at Abbey Road Studios. In 2010, she participated on Emotion & Commotion by Jeff Beck, singing on the track "Lilac Wine" and also on the Japanese CD bonus track "Poor Boy". On 11 November 2010, she appeared as a guest on BBC2's comedy panel music show, Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

In 2010, she performed with Meat Loaf as part of the UK leg of his Hang Cool Tour. During 2011, she and her band toured with Jeff Beck.

In August 2011 she performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

On 16 December 2011, she played to a capacity crowd of 12,000 in the O2 Dublin, with Bono making a surprise appearance as her guest.

On New Years Eve 2011 she appeared on Jools Holland's Hootenanny on BBC2 Television in the UK.

Personal life[link]

May married her guitarist and band member, Darrel Higham in 2002. In February 2012, the couple announced that May was pregnant with their first child, expected in August.^[13][14] She is a vegetarian.^[15]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• No Turning Back (2002)
• Love Tattoo (2008)
• Mayhem (2010)

Band members[link]

• Imelda May – vocals, bodhrán
• Al Gare – double bass, bass guitar
• Steve Rushton – drums
• Darrel Higham – guitar
• Dave Priseman – trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion, guitar

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Imelda May

External links[link]

• Imelda May on Myspace
• Imelda May Album Review
• No Turning Back (Imelda Clabby) Review
• Blue Harlem (featuring Imelda May) Reviews
• Music On-Air Interview
• Liberation Frequency interview