Artist: Mickey and Mary Carton and Their OrchestraTwo of the most attractive exponents of true Irish melodies, Mickey
and Mary Carton have always sung songs that the Irish love. Brother
and sister, they were born in the Bronx, New York, in a household that
was full of music. Their father was an accordion player, and it was only
logical that Mickey and Mary should become attracted to the instrument.
Playing the accordion became second nature to them, and they
were always in demand at local entertainments.
The World War interrupted their duo performances but, after a stretch
in the army, Mickey returned to form his own Irish orchestra,
with Mary as featured singer.
Mickey and Mary Carton make new friends wherever they go and
whenever they appear. They have been on the Ed Sullivan Show five
times; they are cherished by Irish audiences throughout New York,
Chicago, Springfield, Boston, and practically all of new England.
These recordings are sure to increase their already wide popularity.
and Mary Carton have always sung songs that the Irish love. Brother
and sister, they were born in the Bronx, New York, in a household that
was full of music. Their father was an accordion player, and it was only
logical that Mickey and Mary should become attracted to the instrument.
Playing the accordion became second nature to them, and they
were always in demand at local entertainments.
The World War interrupted their duo performances but, after a stretch
in the army, Mickey returned to form his own Irish orchestra,
with Mary as featured singer.
Mickey and Mary Carton make new friends wherever they go and
whenever they appear. They have been on the Ed Sullivan Show five
times; they are cherished by Irish audiences throughout New York,
Chicago, Springfield, Boston, and practically all of new England.
These recordings are sure to increase their already wide popularity.
Mary Carton was much loved by a generation of New York Irish, who knew her from places like the Dublin House in Rockaway and the Jaeger House in Yorkville. Her duets on the Celtic label with Steve McHugh were classics. She was one of us, a Bronx girl.
ReplyDeleteI hope that life was good to her.
I was just thinking of them while watching all of these television shows about Irish Music in the USA and not a mention of them. As a kid in Rockaway with my parents I remember the duets of Mickey and Mary Carton fondly. It's been 60 years or so and I can still hear them
ReplyDeleteMicky and Mary carton were my mothers cousins and my mother remembers them coming home to Bagenalstown in Ireland in the 1940s where they gave my Grandfather Michael Carton a copy of a record "A little bit of Ireland" which I now have. That was the last time anything was heard from them and I would to hear from anyone who has ant information about that side of my family
ReplyDeleteHe visited bagenalstown in 1956 to collect royalties for the said record, and my father would be his first cousin. My father was named after Mickey's father Patrick. My father is Patrick Walsh and remembers his visit well. Just trying to get some information from the Internet for him.
ReplyDeleteAnn Walsh
I knew Mickey well & Mary only slightly. If you ever wondered why Mary stopped performing, there is a rumor that she was turned in to the IRS!!! Perhaps it was & is not well known that Mary also played the accordion. Mickey started to fade with the introduction of Jimmy Shand's introduction to the US. He even had an accordion built to sound like Shand's box.
ReplyDeleteI also am puzzled how he has been totally ignored when 'experts' write a 'history' of Irish music in NYC.