Hello! Thank you for checking out my website!
I am an Irish Folk/Jazz/Blues Singer and Songwriter. I love to blend the story telling of Folk with the freedom of Jazz to create melody-rich music with the listener at heart.
I am from a big Irish/English family and we moved around a lot when I was younger whilst our parents renovated old houses. I was influenced by their Record Collection which contained greats like The Beach Boys, The Everly Brothers, The Mamas and Papas, Nat King Cole, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley. It gave me a great appreciation of melody. My Grandfather was a Jazz Drummer.
My siblings an I were surrounded by music. It was the back-drop to our parents renovations projects which took us to many different locations.
For me, it was an adventure. It was a reason to explore and freedom to find my own way which also helped me in songwriting.
I trained as a nurse in Leeds, working in inner city A&E and Intensive Care departments. My experiences as a nurse has influenced my writing. It taught me how to listen and pay attention.
When I was younger, and asked what my dream job would be, I used to say 'Singer'... and now, here I am.
“Kehoe’s music performs a rare kind of magic. It creates a homely feeling, not through nostalgia or sentimentality, but through presence. There’s an invitational quality to these songs. They don’t clamor to be anthems, they don’t chase trends or dramatize the self. They simply are — and in being so, they offer something quietly radical in today’s musical landscape.” - Peter Burrows
“Arresting in its intimacy and comforting in its tone, Kehoe’s music threads a line between jazz’s loose, emotive phrasing and the grounded sentimentality of country storytelling, all while steeped in the tonalities and uncertainties of Irish identity.” - Peter Burrows
“It immediately captures an emotion and energy for the album that is carried throughout these twelve songs that highlight the subtle talent of this singer songwriter. ” - Paul McGee
Imelda Kehoe Jazz at Johnstown
Imelda Kehoe The Wexford Arts Centre
Imelda Kehoe
