Irish singer and folk-music great Paul Brady grew up listening to R&B and soul, playing in rock bands throughout his early 20s. Later, when Brady began making a name for himself as a folk and traditional singer, that background in soul and rock added a unique dimension to his sound.
Backstage, Brady told Mountain Stage host Larry Groce that, coming from an Irish background, it's not considered out of the ordinary for a pop musician to whip out a traditional song, whereas in America, playing traditional music is something of a lifestyle choice. Here, Brady plays an assortment of tunes from his most recent album, Hooba Dooba — including "Luck of the Draw," a song recorded on Bonnie Raitt's 1991 album of the same name. Brady wrote the track only one day before giving it to Raitt, and told the audience that 20 years was a "respectable enough gap to leave" before performing his original version.
This segment originally aired on November 14, 2011.
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