AN aspiring blues singer and guitarist from Ballybofey will perform on the iconic Jools Holland New Year’s Eve Hootenanny Show on BBC 2 this year.
The 16-year-old, Muireann Bradley will perform on the show with legends including Rod Stewart, the fantastic Ruby Turner, PP Arnold, the SugaBabes, Olivia Dean, Joss Stone, RAYE, Paul Jones, the Mary Wallopers and the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards.
Muireann said this week she was thrilled to be joining the stars as well as Jools and his amazing Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
Muireann’s career has been on an upward trajectory this year, boosted by the recent release of her debut album, ‘I Kept These Old Blues’.
She swung into fame for her guitar skills in 2019 and is signed with American traditionalist label Tompkins Square.
Muireann was inspired by her father playing the old tunes and the sounds of the Appalachians a century ago.
Describing her main influence, she recounts: “I grew up steeped in these old blues in the hills overlooking the valley of the River Finn just outside the town of Ballybofey in County Donegal.
“My father would play this music constantly at home and wherever we went in the car and talk about it endlessly whether anyone was listening or not, telling stories about the lives of these musicians as if they were legend, mythology or the evening news,” she said.
As well as being an accomplished musician Muireann is a keen boxer and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete.
The appearance on Jools Holland Show will undoubtedly boost Muireann’s fan base even more and provide her with a very bright future in the New Year.
The show starts at 11:30pm and runs to 1:50am on BBC2 on New Year’s Eve Night.