Frances Black

Biography

Frances Patricia Black (born 25 June 1960) is an Irish singer and politician. She came to prominence in the late 1980s when she began to play with her family's traditional and contemporary Irish music band, the Black Family.
Black was elected to Seanad Éireann as an independent senator in 2016 for the Industrial and Commercial Panel.

Background

Black was born in Charlemont Street, Dublin in 1960 into a musical family. She was educated at St Louis High School, Rathmines. Her father Kevin was a keen fiddle player and mandolinist, a plasterer by trade and a native of Rathlin Island, County Antrim. Her mother Patty (from Dublin) used to sing in local dance halls. She is the youngest of five children, having three brothers Shay, Michael and Martin, and one sister, Mary Black, who is also a well-known singer.

Pre-solo

Black's musical career began at 17, when she began singing with her siblings, in her family group, known as The Black Family. She gained confidence in her singing abilities and enhanced her performing skills by joining the band Arcady in 1988 (with De Dannan's Johnny McDonagh, Brendan Larrissey, Patsy Broderick, Seán Keane, Cathal Hayden, Sharon Shannon, and Paul Doyle). They had successes such as "After the Ball". Due to her young family, the gruelling touring schedule was too much for Black, so she decided to leave the group. Black last toured the US with Arcady in August 1992.
Black teamed up with the Newry singer Kieran Goss, and the pair recorded the album Frances Black and Kieran Goss×Frances Black and Kieran Goss1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Wall of Tears4:052Everybody Loves a Lover2:163The Weakness in Me4:144Cast the Stone4:325Losin’ Sleep2:376Heard It All Before3:577Isabelle4:118Forever Lovin’ You2:149The Time Has Come3:1710Love at a Distance3:2511Shadowing You3:0312Time4:0713Fallin’ (I’ve Just Seen a Face)3:37 in 1992. One of the songs on the album, "Wall of Tears", was featured on the compilation album A Woman's Heart, which went on to become the biggest-selling Irish album ever, and this, along with the subsequent tour, advanced Black's career in the music industry. Other artists on A Woman's Heart included Eleanor McEvoy, Sharon Shannon, Maura O'Connell, Dolores Keane, and her sister Mary Black, who had achieved international success by then.

Solo career

Black received rave reviews while on tour in Australia and New Zealand in March 1993 with 20 other Irish artists, in a Guinness celebration of Irish music. This resulted in a record deal from the Irish label Dara Records. She released her first solo album in 1994, Talk to Me×Talk to Me1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1All the Lies That You Told Me4:222Don’t Be a Stranger3:363On Grafton Street5:294Soldiers of Destiny3:135Talk to Me While I’m Listening4:536Intuition4:297Colder Than Winter4:428Always Will4:169Time of Inconvenience3:3710A World of Our Own4:5011If Love Had Wings3:48. It became an instant hit, selling over 100,000 copies and spending eight weeks at number one in her native Ireland. The album contained four Nanci Griffith-penned songs, one Vince Gill song and John Lennon's "Intuition". However, it was her cover of the Christie Hennessy song, "All the Lies That You Told Me", that received the most attention. Talk to Me was released in the UK and United States also, where she toured in 1994.
Black released her second solo album, The Sky Road×The Sky Road1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Once You Said You Loved Me4:082Send Him a Letter4:003The Last Word4:364Try Love3:055The Sky Road4:296Who's Lovin' You Now3:267Listen to the Rain4:428Since You've Gone4:129Love Me or Not3:3810I Can't Face That Lonely Road4:4511Love's Magic Bite3:4812Falling Leaves4:00, in 1995. She was the recipient of the 'Best Album by a Female' award, by the IRMA. Due to her rising popularity in America, she embarked on her second solo tour there in 1995. Among Ms. Black's most successful singles are re-recordings of Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore" in 1996 and 1997, the Yvonne Elliman-popularized tune "Love Me, Please". 1997 saw the release of Black's album The Smile on Your Face×The Smile on Your Face1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1When You Say Nothing at All5:102Lovin' You3:423The Other Side of Love3:084Stranger on the Shore3:005Fear Is the Enemy of Love4:056You're Still the Only One4:247I'm Here4:028The Deal5:319He Loved to Live3:5110Blue Old Saturday Night4:5511Lovers' Time2:5912White Dress4:32. It contained songs written by numerous Irish, English and American songwriters. The follow-up album was 1998's Don't Get Me Wrong×Don't Get Me WrongStudio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Don't Get Me Wrong3:492New York City3:143Love Song3:304Lost and Found3:565A Kiss Doesn't Make It Right4:226Haven for My Heart4:137Love Me3:208That's How You Know It's Love4:279Everytime I Hear Your Name (I Cry)3:4110Let Me Down Gently4:0411Will You Love Me Tomorrow3:3812Armed With a Broken Heart3:26, which was released in the UK under Sony Records and was her fourth solo effort. It once again cemented Ms. Black's reputation as an international performer, becoming as revered as her older sister Mary.
A compilation, The Best of Frances Black×The Best of Frances Black2003 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1You Will Miss Me3:312On Grafton Street5:303Send Him a Letter3:584Talk to Me4:525When You Say Nothing at All5:096Don't Be a Stranger3:357All the Lies That You Told Me4:208Jimmy Mo Mhile Stor3:329Love Me3:2110That's How You Know It's Love4:2911The Sky Road4:2712Everybody Loves a Lover2:1613Wall of Tears4:0214Fear Is the Enemy3:5815Once You Said You Loved Me4:0416After the Ball5:5317Legal Illegal3:12, was released in 2001 by Dara-Dolphin Records. The album included 16 tracks from her throughout her career. Her two most recent albums How High the Moon×How High the Moon7 June 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1How Sweet the Tune4:242Magdalen Laundry4:213Martha’s Harbour3:094Lying in My Bed3:055No One Else5:086Another Day2:19724 Hours3:418Rachrai Island4:079Lucky Star4:1210Precious Lines3:4111Take a Chance4:3312You Will Miss Me3:33 (2003) and This Love Will Carry×This Love Will Carry20 June 2006 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 23 tracks1This Love Will Carry3:592All That You Ask Me4:483Time Alone2:544Fallin' (I've Just Seen a Face)3:405Weave and Mend4:236Take a Chance4:337White Dress4:328The Field Behind the Plough3:279Cast the Stone4:2910Hó Ró M'iníon Donn Bhóidheach4:2211After the Ball5:3312Stranger On the Shore3:0013The Hills of South Armagh4:4114The River4:3715Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór3:3016Try Love3:0517Time4:0418How Sweet the Tune4:2419Rathlin Island4:4520Sky Road4:2921Lullabye3:5022The Foggy Dew6:0723Forever Lovin' You2:14 (2006) have also sold well in Ireland and Black toured the United States in support of the recordings. Her latest compilation, The Essential Frances Black×The Essential Frances BlackAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 40 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Don't Be A Stranger3:352All The Lies That You Told Me4:203Lost And Found3:564The Sky Road4:275Magdalen Laundry4:216Wall Of Tears4:027Don't Get Me Wrong3:498On Grafton Street5:289Love Me3:201Lover's Time2:5811How Sweet The Tune4:2312Everybody Loves A Lover2:1713Let Me Down Gently4:031424 Hours3:4015Hó Ró M'Iníon Bhóidheach4:2216Losin' Sleep2:3617Blue Old Saturday Night4:5518Legal Illegal3:1319After The Ball5:3520Armed With A Broken Heart3:27Disc 21Talk To Me While I'm Listening4:502Intuition4:263Stranger On The Shore2:594Fear Is The Enemy Of Love4:005That's How You Know It's Love4:276When You Say Nothing At All5:097This Love Will Carry3:598Time4:059If Love Had Wings3:511White Dress4:3311Rachraí Island4:0712Lying In My Bed3:0513The Hills Of South Armagh4:4114Send Him A Letter3:5815Always Will4:1516Love's Magic Bite3:4717The Time Has Come3:1518Once You Said You Loved Me4:0619Forever Lovin' You2:1220I've Just Seen A Face3:35 (2008), went platinum, and contained 40 of her most popular songs.

Addiction and charity work

A recovering alcoholic, Black returned to college as a mature student in 2004 and qualified as an addiction counsellor, and did some counselling work at the Rutland Addiction Treatment Centre in Dublin. She established a charity called the Rise Foundation in 2009 which supports family members who have a loved one with an alcohol, drug or gambling problem. Rise runs a number of 10-week family programmes around the country and a one-to-one counselling service for family members who are suffering from stress and anxiety living with a loved one with an addiction problem.

Political career

Black was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2016 in her first political campaign as an independent candidate. She received her nomination from the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland and ran on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. She was a member of the Civil Engagement group in the 25th Seanad. During the 25th Seanad, Black was a member of the Seanad Brexit Committee and the Good Friday Implementation Committee.
In July 2017, Black co-proposed a new bill that proposed to alter the law in Ireland to enable more refugee families to be reunited. The law proposed that "family" in Irish legal terms should include the following when reunifying refugees: grandparent, parent, brother, sister, child, grandchild, ward or guardian of the refugee.
She has called for alcohol not to be sold next to nappies in supermarkets, and helped draft the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 which introduced minimum pricing on Alcohol in Ireland.
In January 2018 Black proposed the Occupied Territories Bill, a private member's bill which she described as seeking "to prohibit the import and sales of goods, services and natural resources originating in illegal settlements in occupied territories".
In 2018, Black visited the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. As part of her visit to the West Bank, she travelled with Breaking the Silence, an organisation consisting of former members of the Israeli Defence Forces who are opposed to Israeli settlements there.
In April 2018, NBC's Vivian Salama, on behalf of the politician George Mitchell, personally presented the Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF)'s Award for Individual Achievement to Black at the 20th annual Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards in Washington. Mitchell made a special video message in praise of Black. The award was in recognition of her work as founder of RISE Foundation and her "tireless efforts on behalf of those struggling with addiction and their families".
She was re-elected at the 2020 Seanad election, and at the 2025 Seanad election.
In March 2025, Black was named among the bookies' favourites as a possible candidate in the 2025 presidential election. Black said she was "open to the conversation".

Political views

As the Chairperson of the Ireland's Future organisation, Black is an advocate for Irish reunification.
Black advocates for Palestinian nationalism and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. In January 2018 she tabled the Occupied Territories Bill in the Seanad, to place into Irish law a ban on "trade with and economic support for illegal settlements in territories deemed occupied under international law". The Bill was not enacted before the Seanad was dissolved. A watered-down version of the Bill was included in the subsequent programme for government.
In a 2019 interview, Black cited Clare Daly as someone she admired politically.

Personal life

Black had her first child, Eoghan, when she was 19, and her second child Aoife, when she was 21. Her first marriage ended shortly afterwards, and she is now married to her second husband, Brian Allen. Her daughter Aoife Scott recorded a track on Black's album This Love Will Carry×This Love Will Carry20 June 2006 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 23 tracks1This Love Will Carry3:592All That You Ask Me4:483Time Alone2:544Fallin' (I've Just Seen a Face)3:405Weave and Mend4:236Take a Chance4:337White Dress4:328The Field Behind the Plough3:279Cast the Stone4:2910Hó Ró M'iníon Donn Bhóidheach4:2211After the Ball5:3312Stranger On the Shore3:0013The Hills of South Armagh4:4114The River4:3715Jimmy Mo Mhíle Stór3:3016Try Love3:0517Time4:0418How Sweet the Tune4:2419Rathlin Island4:4520Sky Road4:2921Lullabye3:5022The Foggy Dew6:0723Forever Lovin' You2:14. Aoife is now also a well-known singer and songwriter herself in Ireland after releasing her first solo album Carry the Day. Her son, Eoghan Scott, is also a well-known musician, songwriter and producer in the Irish music scene and holds a degree and doctorate in psychology from DCU.