I couldn’t let today pass without acknowledging that today marks the anniversary of the death of Ireland’s first global superstar, John Count McCormack. He made over 800 recordings and sold in excess of 200 million records. He was more than a singer of Irish ballads. To this day he is still regarded as one of the 20th century’s finest exponents of the music of Handel and Mozart.  Hope you enjoy his take on Handel’s ‘Come My Beloved’ from Atalanta.

 

And here’s his performance of ‘Ireland, Mother Ireland’ from his film ‘Song O’ My Heart’, which he made in 1929 for Fox Pictures. He was paid the phenomenal some of $500,000 for six weeks work.