…a short history

After the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, the Irish Rovers became the most popular and well-known Irish Ballad Group in North America, due in no small part to their hit song, "The Unicorn".

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The story began in 1963, as Northern Irishmen George Millar and Jimmy Ferguson met in Toronto, Canada and formed a folk duo. George’s older brother Will Millar, an experienced musician, was hosting a childrens television show in Ontario; he and cousin Joe Millar, recently arrived in Canada from Ireland, were invited to join forces with George and Jimmy, and the Irish Rovers were born.

     

After a stint of gigs around Canada, the boys headed to America and landed an engagement at the famed folk club The Purple Onion in San Francisco, which turned into 22 weeks of sold-out houses. The Rovers continued to play folk clubs up and down the coast as their reputation and popularity grew. In 1966 they cut their first album (and one of the their best), The First of the Rovers, recorded live at the Ice Pasadena. The Rovers next added, Wilcil McDowell, an all-Ireland accordion player, to their line-up and recorded a second album, The Unicorn. Over the years, The Rovers have augmented the band with various sidemen, with the original line-up remaining intact for 30 years.

In 1995, Will Millar left the band, tired of their heavy touring schedule. Unfortunately, his departure cause a great of deal of strife between himself and his former band mates, in particular with his brother George, and a lawsuit followed concerning ownership of song rights, royalties and the name "The Irish Rovers".

Sadly, Jimmy Ferguson died suddenly in 1997, while the band was on tour, and the surviving Rovers and Will briefly mended fences at Jimmy's funeral. The Rovers (George, Joe & Wicil) continue to perform and record with new band members John Reynolds, Wallace Hood & Kevin McKewon…and so the music goes on.