(c’71-’91) Joe Canning (vocal / guitar)

Canning’s early path to a music career saw him playing in talent contest, before taking his acoustic 12-string and mike taped to a broom handle to Indian restaurants for a musician’s wage of a fiver and a chicken biryani. As a guard for British Rail, he ended up in Woking, and played at The Red House, Woking and the Working Men’s Club, Woking as Donegal Joe.

Donegal Joe’s second cassette LP ‘Home to Donegal‘

He released two cassette LPs, the first titled ‘A Mother’s Loves a Blessing‘ got some positive coverage in The Irish Post. Prior to release, Canning recorded his songs on a personal tape recorder and sent the tape to Terry Duffy. After Duffy arranged and recruited a number of musicians to lay down the backing tracks, they met in Tyrone to record the vocal track. The second cassette LP ‘Home to Donegal‘ was recorded in well-known Donegal musician Charlie Dolan’s Studio, Argery Ballindrait, County Donegal.

He is related to Birdie Gallagher, also played with Bob Oliver & The Mayberries. Now residing in Strabane, to commemorate his 70th birthday he reissued ‘A Mother’s Loves a Blessing‘ on CD

Gallery:

Donegal Joe c’71
The Irish Post review ‘A Mother’s Loves a Blessing‘
Reissued ‘A Mother’s Loves a Blessing‘.