Anthony Kearns


Anthony Kearns is an internationally acclaimed tenor, record producer, and a member of The Irish Tenors.

Early life

Anthony Kearns is one of six children in a musical family; as a result, his interest in music came at a very early age. Kearns began singing traditional Irish songs with his family and won many singing competitions in his youth, generally in the sean-nós tradition. He played the button accordion and various other instruments common in Traditional music. He attended F.C.J. Secondary School Bunclody, singing at Mass and school shows. After leaving school, Kearns studied catering and hotel management, while singing in local musical productions and placing in various singing competitions around the country.
Kearns achieved success in 1993 after entering a national radio competition, "Ireland's Search for a Tenor" on the Gay Byrne program, a competition to celebrate the issuing of a new ten pound note The only competitor with no formal training, Kearns won the competition at the finals, held on a city street in Dublin, singing "The Impossible Dream" and "Danny Boy". One of his prizes was an appearance on Gay Byrne's Late Late Show on RTÉ television. After winning the competition, he began training with the renowned Irish opera singer and vocal coach, Veronica Dunne, who had been a judge for the competition. Kearns then began pursuing a full-time career in music. After three years at the Leinster School of Music with Dr. Dunne, he studied at the College of Music in Cardiff .

Career

1998: The Irish Tenors

Kearns' career took a leap in 1998 when Irish producer Bill Hughes and PBS joined forces to begin The Irish Tenors. Kearns, an original member of The Irish Tenors, collaborated with tenors Ronan Tynan, John McDermott, and Finbar Wright to net Gold, Platinum, and Double Platinum CD recognitions. Their first PBS Special before a live U.S. audience, "Live from Ellis Island," was a tribute to U.S. immigrants. The Irish Tenors are among the top three highest-grossing acts for PBS, raising over $10 million over the course of their collaboration. They continue to tour and produce CDs—and are considered to be one of the most successful singing groups from Ireland in history.
In 2006, the trio starred in a nine-part television series, Irish Tenors & Friends, on RTÉ TV. Special guests included Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul Carrick, Finbar Furey, Shayne Ward, Sharon Shannon, Peter Grant, and others.

2006–2012: Broadway and television performances

Kearns teamed up with Bill Hughes again for a PBS project called Hallelujah Broadway, filmed in Prague in February 2010. Hallelujah Broadway has since been broadcast on Irish and U.S. television stations, and Hallelujah Broadway concerts have been presented in various cities in the U.S. as well.
Kearns made his debut appearance on the Fox News Network as a solo artist on Huckabee on 24 April 2010, where he shared his "deep passion for music" with former Gov. Mike Huckabee, the program's host. The interview included Kearns' insights about his meteoric career and rise to fame, and a performance by Kearns of "Danny Boy", and "The Lord's Prayer".
Said Huckabee after the interview, "When sang 'Danny Boy' and 'The Lord's Prayer' on my show, he had one of the most positive responses of any guest I've had to date." Kearns returned to the show in 2011 to sing "Ave Maria" which he dedicated to U.S. troops.
Kearns performed with the Air Force Band at a special Veteran's Day 2012 broadcast "America's Veterans: A Musical Tribute", on Maryland Public Television.

2012–2014: Performances for world leaders

Kearns performed at a pre-inaugural brunch, as a guest of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, in tribute to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society on 20 January 2013. Kearns also sang as the guest of Governor Martin O'Malley at the Maryland Democratic Party's Inaugural Ball to celebrate the Inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama's second term in office. In March 2012, Kearns sang at a benefit honoring Gov. O'Malley and another prominent Irish-American, Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia. Kearns sang at Gov. McDonnell's Inaugural Gala in 2010 and his bipartisan Prayer Breakfast the next day in Richmond, VA. On 19 March 2013, Kearns performed at the 2013 Friends of Ireland Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol as the guest of Speaker of the House John Boehner. Special guests included President Barack Obama and Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Members of Congress, and foreign dignitaries from Ireland and the United Kingdom.
On 27 May 2013, Kearns opened the 2013 National Memorial Day Parade Program in Washington, D.C., with a stirring rendition of "America, the Beautiful," with a 260-member chorus from across the country in front of an estimated crowd of 300,000 people to mark the anniversaries of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. On 18 June 2013, Kearns performed at the official U.S. ceremony commemorating the 50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's visit to Ireland on Arlington National Cemetery. This was the first time part of the Eternal Flame was allowed to be taken from the grave site.
Kearns appeared on Huckabee to kick off the Christmas season on 1 December 2013, singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." That same week, Kearns headlined the 94th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA singing "We Three Kings" before approximately one million parade-goers and 12 million TV viewers.
On 14 March 2014, Kearns headlined the 113th Annual St. Patrick's Day Banquet hosted by the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago. Special guests included Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, John McDonough, President and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, and others.

2014: National Memorial Day Concert and 9/11 Tribute

In early May 2014, it was announced that Kearns would join a distinguished line-up as a soloist in the 2014 Memorial Day Concert on PBS—a national tradition over the past 25 years. Co-hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise, the concert is a tribute to America's men and women in uniform, their families, and all those who have given their lives for our country. The event was broadcast live to 10 million viewers nationwide from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sun., 25 May 2014. Before the concert, Jerry Colbert, executive producer and founder of Capital Concerts, said of Kearns, "We're pleased to have Anthony Kearns lend his powerful voice for what will be a historic and inspiring tribute to America's service men and women, their families, and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country."
On 12 June 2014, Kearns sang "God Bless America" during the 239th United States Army Birthday Gala held at the historic Union League Club in New York City. The event was emceed by Greg Kelly, co-host of Good Day New York and a former co-host of Fox and Friends, and featured General Raymond Odierno, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, as the Special Military Guest of Honor.
On 9 September 2014, Kearns headlined the National 11 September Memorial & Museum in New York City—marking the first time that the museum was open to the public. Kearns sang "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears," by songwriter Brendan Graham which he and The Irish Tenors recorded in 2001 on Ellis Island. The song became a huge hit for Kearns and his Irish Tenor colleagues. Kearns sang before an audience of 1,200 including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who hosted the event as chairman. The event paid homage to those who died in the attacks, the heroes, and survivors. It also commemorated the rebuilding and resilience of New York and its bond with the American people. Other event participants included singer Ricky Martin, sex therapist, talk show host, and author Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo.
In 2014, Kearns became an International National Ambassador for Wells of Life, a 501 nonprofit founded in 2008 to provide Ugandan communities with access to clean and safe drinking water by drilling water wells. Kearns headlined the 2014 Wells of Life Annual Gala and recorded two Public Service Announcements in support of the organization. Kearns recently announced that he would donate a well honoring those who lost their lives on 11 September 2001. The "Anthony Kearns 9/11 Memorial Well" became operational in March 2015.
Kearns highlighted his work for Wells of Life and his 9/11 Memorial Well in several media interviews, including with NPR-affiliate WHYY Philadelphia.

2015: Performances in U.S. and Europe, including for Pope Francis

Kearns had several high-profile concerts and engagements in Europe and the U.S. in 2015, including singing the tenor role in "The Irish Ring Concert"—a trilogy of Irish operas that includes Maritana, The Bohemian Girl and The Lily of Killarney—at Ireland's National Concert Hall.
In February 2015, Kearns headlined the "Second Annual Musical Celebration of the Irish Season and Military Tribute" at Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, VA. The gala was co-chaired by former Virginia First Lady Susan Allen and Martha-Ann Alito, both daughters of U.S. military fathers, with the support of Kirsten Fedewa & Associates, L.L.C. Larry Michael, ten-time Emmy winner and "Voice of the Washington Redskins" on NBC4, served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies. The event supported local charities, Our Military Kids and Final Salute, Inc. Other special guests included Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito; former Governor of Virginia George Allen; Congresswoman Barbara Comstock; VADM Tony Less USN, first official squadron commander of the legendary Blue Angels; Colonel James B. Hickey, Senior Military Advisor to Senator John McCain; Shannon Bream, Fox News' Supreme Court reporter and anchor of America's News Headquarters; Virginia State Delegate Tom Russ; and Bruce Allen, president of The Washington Redskins.
On 16 March 2015, Kearns sang at the American Ireland Fund's 23rd National Gala held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The event honored Thomas J. Donohue, President & Chief Executive Officer of the United States Chamber of Commerce, Senator Richard Durbin, and Congressman Thomas J. Rooney. Other guests in attendance included Honorary Chairs Irish Ambassador to the United States, Anne Anderson; U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O'Malley; British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Peter Westmacott; Senators Patrick Leahy and Patrick Toomey; and Congressmen Peter King and Richard Neal. The evening's keynote speaker was the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, TD, Prime Minister of Ireland and the gala's Honorary Patron.
In May, he also performed at a Memorial Day Tribute to Veterans and Veterans Serving in Congress with special guest Brigadier General Steve Ritchie, USAF, Ret., who is the only Air Force Pilot Ace since the Korean War.
Kearns, a sports fan, also sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Citi Field in August 2015 before the New York Mets game versus the Boston Red Sox. Previously, Kearns sang during the "Notre Dame: A Welcome Home Celebration" vs Navy Football game in Dublin, Ireland in 2012. He also sang during the Military Tribute at the 137th Preakness, and he performed "The Star Spangled Banner" as the guest of The Washington Redskins when they played against the Atlanta Falcons at FedExField in Landover, MD in October 2012. Most recently, Kearns performing "God Bless America" on Jim McKay Maryland Million Day on Saturday, 17 October 2015 at Laurel Park.
During Pope Francis' first historic visit to the United States in September 2015, Kearns was the final performer during the pre-Mass concert at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, PA. Said Kearns during a CNN interview with Don Lemon before the performance, "I feel very privileged to be a part of such an historic event in honor of His Holiness' visit to the United States. It will be an unforgettable experience." Kearns was accompanied by David George of Louisville, Kentucky. Said Kirsten Fedewa, Kearns' public relations consultant, "This is an exceptional honor for Mr. Kearns, and an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share his inspiring voice with those convening in Philadelphia and around the world."
In September 2015, Kearns sang a 9/11 Tribute at a benefit hosted by Tobias Harris of the Orlando Magic, in memory of the 9/11 victims and American military forces who defend liberty around the world.