Danny Boy marathon aims to break Guinness Book of World Records

There are high hopes in Ferndale, Michigan. Opposite to Shaun Clancy of Foley’s Pub and Restaurant in Manhattan who is loathe to hear “Danny Boy” in March, A.J. O’Neil, owner of A.J. Café, has been hustling to get enough folks together to break the Guinness Book of World Records in a “Danny Boy” singing/playing the song marathon for a St. Patrick Day first.

Here’s how it will work. Starting at 3 p.m. today, various musicians will take turns belting out the lyrics or playing the tune “Danny Boy.” The goal is to have the singing and playing go non-stop for 50 hours. The end point is March 17 at about 5 p.m. [see article] The marathon is also a fundraiser. Gleaners Community Food Bank, Ferndale Youth Assistance, St. Patrick Senior Center in Detroit and Detroit Together Men’s Chorus will benefit from the proceeds. Ah, creativity at its finest.

A few days ago, 600 people had signed up to participate but a few hundred more were needed. Folks can rap, sing, play an instrument, whistle, hum, whatever it takes to keep the song going over and over and over again.

I hope Mr. O’Neil still likes “Danny Boy” once this marathon is over. I’m sure he’ll know the words. Let’s hope he has the luck of the Irish and gets the record for his efforts.

Danny Boy banned because it’s too depressing

When we were in India we went to some Irish festival for St. Patrick’s Day. I remember the soda bread, the corned beef, the beer and my husband belting out “Danny Boy” to the band that provided the accompaniment. Then there was the karaoke bar we went to in Hsinchu, Taiwan. A friend who was visiting us from the U.S. could hardly sit up straight she was laughing so hard. Let’s just say my husband has a way with “Danny Boy,” particularly in Taiwan where the video background doesn’t exactly go along with the lyrics. You could be singing “California Dreaming” to images of people on bicycles in Vietnam. No joke.

If my husband had the urge to belt out “Danny Boy” at Foley’s Pub and Restaurant in New York City, he’d be stopped in his tracks. The bar owner has banned it from being sung in the pub for the month of March.

The owner Shaun Clancy thinks “Danny Boy” fits a funeral more than a celebration, and that it has been over done. He may change his mind if he heard my husband’s version. All it requires is a few Guinness. He’s loud enough a microphone isn’t necessary. I wonder how Shawn Clancy feels about “Proud Mary?” It’s not an Irish tune, but my husband and I do this one as a duet. The last time we sang this one was at a wedding reception in Vietnam. Those were the days. [see article about the reaction to the ban]