As Mike Denver prepares to take to the road for another busy tour, he chats about his life and loves to Kay Doyle
“I never thought I’d be telling anyone about a Mike Denver weekend,” laughs ‘The Galway Boy’ himself Mr Mike Denver as we discuss the busy few months he’s had and the many more busy months to come. The popular Irish country singer is filling me in on the tours ‘from one end of the country to the other’, tours in England and Scotland, international trips to Spain and Portugal and the famous weekend in his own name which takes place every year in Claremorris.
It’s hard to believe that Mike Denver is only 37, he’s become a firm stalwart on the country music scene here and abroad and his success and recognition would suggest a singer far beyond those years. But then, he’s been on the road for over half of his life, beginning at just sixteen.
Born Michael Fallon in Portumna, Co. Galway, to parents Roisin and Sean, Mike is one of four children who grew up in a house heavily influenced by his mother’s love of country music. His mother Roisin Fallon was well known on the Galway music scene and played in bands as far back as Mike can remember.
“I always loved music and signing but it was only towards the later end of my teens before I got involved. I was playing the accordion and guitar and keyboards from a young age more so at home than in the outside world.
“Then I started performing with my mam. It happened out of the blue. I started going up and singing just one song, then that went up to two and after a few months then I was on the road every night.