Don Stiffe is one of the greatest singer / songwriters to have emerged on the Irish Folk Scenein recent years, receiving critical acclaim and awards both at home and abroad. Don is apassionate and talented singer whose impressive performance style has moved audiences all over the world.
Stiffe’s version of the “Dimming of the Day”, by Richard Thompson won “Vocal Cut of theYear’ at the Live Ireland 2010 Awards. This song featured on his debut solo album, “Start of aDream, which was originally released in 2006, achieving much critical acclaim. Therenowned Irish Music Magazine described the musical quality of the album as being “in thePremier League”. The array of talented musicians playing on the album are testament to therespect that is held for Don in the Irish Music world, with guest performances from FrankieGavin, Sharon Shannon, Arty McGlynn, Cathal Hayden and Carl Hession, to name but a few.
In 2011 Don was a finalist in one of Ireland’s most watched TV shows, The All Ireland Talent Show, with live audiences of up to 800,000 people. His profile was raised significantly by taking part in this show and was further raised when he won yet another award at the LiveIreland 2011 Awards, this time for his song, “Somebody Special”, sung by Matt Keane, which was crowned Song of the Year from the Live Ireland Awards.
“DON STIFFE HAS A VOICE OF RARE EXPRESSION AND DISTINCTIVE TIMBRE THAT DESERVES TO BE HEARD FAR AND WIDE” – THE IRISH EXAMINER
2016 was a very busy year for Don, which saw the release of a new recording called ’’1916 Classic Irish Ballads’’ to mark the centenary of the Irish 1916 Rising.This added to his continued success and saw him touring America and Europe with some of Ireland’s biggest names in folk such as Mary Black, Lúnasa and Maura O’Connell, delighting audiences everywhere they played. His continued success brought him to guest with Irish American Band, Cherish The Ladies on their summer tour of Ireland and Scotland, and again touring 18 states in the USA on their Christmas Tour, where the band’s leader, Joanie Madden, introduced Stiffe as “one of the best singers that Ireland has produced in years”.
