FULL BioGRAPHY
Vincent Cross is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician born in Dublin, Ireland who immigrated to Australia when he was a child. In 1981 he returned to Ireland and in 2006 emigrated to New York City. Cross came to his art form in his final years of secondary school listening to early Bob Dylan bootleg tapes progressing to American Folklore through the blues of Bukka White, the country blues styling of Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, and bluegrass artists such as Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. He also gravitated to Irish traditional music listening to Planxty, Andy Irvine, and Paul Brady.
Cross’s early career began upon graduating from secondary school as he left for London performing at Bunjies in Leicester Square, The Troubadour, and opening for Isaac Guillory at the Railway Inn. Cecil Sharp House was also an important stop, as it was there he performed a self-penned ballad for Tom Paley & Peggy Seeger. Busking on Carnaby Street he caught the attention of Canadian actor Rob Freeman (Saving Private Ryan), and demonstration tape was recorded. None of songs have been released in the original form to this date.
Abandoning London, Cross hitch-hiked through Europe meeting 5-string banjo player Montz Matsumoto and returned to London for regular performances at the Stags Head in Camden Town which drew enthusiastic crowds. With traditional Irish fiddler Chris Short, and UK bass player Stephen Harrison (Sons of the Desert). Frequent guests included Ron Kavana (The Pogues) and even Rory McCleod.
Returning to Galway, in the West of Ireland, Cross joined up with Irish trumpet player, Johnny Carroll touring Ireland and England, and participated in the traditional Irish music scene joining Declan Corey, Jon Hicks, and Dereck O’Shea. Eventually moving to Dublin and participating in the singer-songwriting scene at the International Bar. Playing occasional shows, opening up Paddy Casey Eamon Dorans. On hearing there was work for troubadours in Scandinavia he went for road weary tours that stretched from Lapland to Strasburg. Returning to Ireland for a fourth time, he visited the Isle of Man and found a welcome at the legendary Cul-De-Sac bar. Here he met up with long-time collaborator Shane Kerwin, and recorded his first self-titled release. The CD found its way to Arista Records in New York City, and a number of shows were arranged.
Cross returned to Galway and compiled a rough tape for Jon Richards of Galway Bay FM. Impressed Richards included Cross on two separate nationally released albums Undercurrents (2001) and Inundations (2002). Leading to opening slots The Devlins, The Frames & Damien Rice.
Cross moved to NYC in 2006 and began picking at bluegrass jams joining an array of seasoned artists at the Baggot Inn. Joining top musicians such as Michael Daves, Chris Thile, Mark O’Conner, and Greg Garing, and forming his own traditional bluegrass band Good Company with Elio Schiavo (Mandolin), Joe Choina (Bass), James Kerr (Dobro), Dan O’Dea (Fiddle), and Jon Fletcher (5-string banjo), and releasing a live demonstration EP, highlighted the bands instrumental strengths . These demo culminated in the release of his first length album of original songs, Home Away from Home (2008). Favorable reviews followed from the IBMA and Bluegrass Unlimited. Leading to a chance encounter with the folk legend Odetta in and an invitation to perform at an historic tribute hosted by Wavy Gravy at Banjo Jim's. Cross joined star performers, David Amram, Guy Davis, and Christine Lavin, in front of an audience that included legendary film maker D. A. Pennebaker (Don't Look Back: Bob Dylan).
Remaining in NYC, Cross released A Town Called Normal (2013) to more glowing reviews, and a #8 position on the Radio Free Americana Charts, which finally got Cross to start touring globally. During the Australian tour of 2014, he began writing new material for Old Songs for Modern Folk (2016), which in April, 2016 reached the #2 slot of the National Folk DJ Album Charts. As a solo performer Cross continues to tour globally building up a loyal following in the UK, Ireland, the continent and Australia and the USA. Frequently playing folk clubs, and festivals such as the TelemarkFestivalen (Norway), The Hebridean Celtic Festival (Scotland), and The Maverick Americana Festival (UK). The Long Island Bluegrass Festival (NY), The Dripping Springs Songwriter Festival (Texas), and The South Florida Folk Festival (USA).
Presently Cross is based in Queens, NYC, and can frequently be seen touring and performing locally at the Brooklyn Folk Festival, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Irish Arts Center, and even the renowned Scratcher Sessions in Manhattan. His next recorded release is scheduled for 2020-2021, which comprises contemporary & traditional ballads about his distant relative James “The Rooster” Corcoran. Corcoran was a 19th Century Irish-American gang leader & squatter colony chief, and was known for his “caustic tongue and ready wit.”