From Ireland to Germany - and right into the hearts of the fans: That is the short version of Rea Garvey's story. Tickets for the live concerts of the versatile artist guarantee an unforgettable music event between rock, ballads and pop.
Jury member, composer, songwriter and singer: Rea Garvey is regarded as real all-rounder. But his heart belongs to the live performances. Accordingly, a show by Rea Garvey is always an experience.
Started as a shirt seller and roadie
Raymond Michael Garvey was born in 1973 in the town of Tralee in the south-west of Ireland . His father is a police officer and his mother is a housewife. Rea's seven sisters also belong to the family. He discovered his love for music early on – nothing unusual in Ireland – and tours the country with various bands. The great success, however, was a long time coming.
But then Rea Garvey went on a tour in Germany with his band The Reckless Pedestrians and spontaneously decided to settle down here. In justification, he explains in an interview: “Here I have the feeling of hitting the tone of the audience. Before that, I played every hole in Ireland for four years and still didn't progress.”
Rea Garvey spontaneously borrowed money for a plane ticket from one of his sisters and left Ireland after that Tour end permanently. But even in Germany there is no record deal waiting on the next street corner, on the contrary. Garvey initially works as a shirt seller and roadie at various festivals. At the same time, he advertised in the newspaper to find fellow band members.
Breakthrough with Reamonn
In 1998, Garvey founded his first band: Reamonn. The group made its debut on New Year's Eve 1998/99 and Rea Garvey's career took off. The band name comes from the Irish spelling of Raymond's first name: Réamonn. The first record deal followed a few months later, and the debut album "Tuesday" was released in May 2000.
The single release "Supergirl" climbed steeply up the charts and made the band famous. Reamonn perform with the likes of the Guano Apes and Robbie Williams. In 2000 alone they play over 200 sold-out concerts. The band split up in 2010 and Rea Garvey concentrated on his solo career.
He started just a few months later and released the album "Can't Stand The Silence". The debut single of the same name made it straight into the charts. A year later, Garvey even achieved gold status with "Wild Love". The streak of success continues to this day.
In addition to his career as a singer with regular guest appearances and tours, Rea Garvey is also active in other areas, including being on the jury for “The Voice of Germany" and "The Masked Singer". He also composes for other artists such as Nu Pagadi or Elli. Guest appearances in films are also part of Rea's repertoire.
Social commitment and private life
Despite a packed schedule, the musician manages to get involved in social projects. During the Reamonn days, he and the band set up the “Saving An Angel” foundation. The Kindernothilfe project takes care of disabled children and their families.
For several years he has also been campaigning for the "Clearwater Project", clean drinking water in the Amazon region wants to ensure by Ecuador. For this, Rea Garvey received the Bambi in 2015 in the category "Our Earth."
As busy as Rea Garvey is in his professional life and his social commitment, he is down-to-earth in his private life: since 2002 He is married to his wife Josephine, who, in addition to the song of the same name, is also dedicated to the hits "Supergirl" and "Wild Love". The two have a daughter together and live alternately in Berlin and a small Hessian village. Garvey just enjoys both: the hustle and bustle at his shows and his life as a father and husband.
