Ken O'Malley and The Twilight Lords headlining the Third Annual Celtic Concert at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles (joined onstage by fiddler Mark Indictor and keyboard player Dillon O'Brian).

Under the leadership of Ken O’Malley, the Twilight Lords have earned and upheld the reputation as one of California’s top Irish/Celtic bands for over a decade. As the front man, O'Malley steeped in the culture, heritage and song of his native Ireland, leads this ensemble of first class players with his distinctive and engaging singing voice. They are the real deal. Their Irish and Scottish music is deep-rooted and performed with a contemporary flair and visceral Celtic rhythms.

As a soloist, O’Malley has performed throughout the United States and Europe and his appeal and that of the Twilight Lords is reaching out further and further these days to audiences everywhere. Having shared stages with world renowned artists such as The Chieftains, Mary Black, Paul Brady, The Saw Doctors, Gaelic Storm, The Fureys and Davey Arthur, Ken O’Malley and The Twilight Lords are headlining such well known California venues as the Hollywood Bowl, The John Anson Ford Amphitheater, The Redlands Bowl, the Pleasanton Highland Games, the Monterey Highland Games and are ever becoming one of the most sought after acts on the Celtic circuit.

"The Twilight Lords are the logical connection of ancient modalities to electric instruments. Their treatment of classic songs -- such well-worn Irish chestnuts as "The Foggy Foggy Dew," "The Water is Wide" and "Carrick Fergus" -- are never overly reverential. As such, five hundred-year-old melodies and lyrics have renewed vitality, and stand as welcome testimony that the resilience of Irish Music is a counterpart to the indomitable spirit of its people. Ken O'Malley and company are fond keepers of an invaluable musical heritage, and the perfect group to experience while hoisting a few right here in the New World."
-----From 'Irish Whiskey, a Pint and The Twilight Lords'

The Twilight Lords

( L to R: Cary Park, Will MacGregor, Ken O'Malley, Otis Hayes III)

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"Widely regarded as the finest Irish folk singer/songwriter in the United States today” raves the University of St. Thomas at Houston; the Irish News calls this consummate entertainer "without question, . . .the single most enduring, influential and proficient of all Irish musicians in Southern California .." Both as a solo artist and with his Twilight Lords band, he has performed alongside such household names in Celtic music as The Chieftains, Makem and Clancy, Mary Black, Paul Brady, Luka Bloom, and The Saw Doctors. As an actor, Ken has appeared in numerous motion picture, television and theatrical productions from Ray Bradbury’s “Falling Upward” to Paramount Pictures “Patriot Games.”

Born and raised in Dublin, Ken O'Malley takes his audience on an auditory journey across the sea with his rich, resonant voice and engaging stage presence accompanied by his remarkable talent on guitar and mandolin. His wealth of knowledge of Irish music, folklore and history is well known and he is a sought after performer and lecturer at schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States.

With his Twilight Lords band, his repertoire expands to also include a vast cross section of American roots rock and blues and British rock and roll. Examples include Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash and many others.

In the words of one longtime fan, “the songs Ken sings touch all of us, Irish or not, to the very core of the human heart.”

Originally from Placerville, California, Cary Park is a celebrated session and touring musician, featured in the July 2008 issue of Guitar World as one of the "50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time." Prior to joining Ken O'Malley and The Twilight Lords, he was a founding member of the celebrated rock country group BOY HOWDY (1990-1996), which released 3 CDs for Curb Records, all placing on top of the charts, along with a string of top 10 singles and 6 top videos aired on CMT. His impressive resume consists of working with such artists as: Bruce Hornsby, Peter Asher, Kenny Loggins, Phil Lesh, LeAnn Rimes, Olivia Newton-John, Deana Carter (guitar on her two number one singles "Strawberry Wine" and "We Danced Anyway"), Tyler Hilton, Maria Muldaur, Rick Roberts (Firefall), Michael Lloyd, Randy Meisner (The Eagles), Roberts Meisner Band, Jim Messina, Kevin Sharp, Lynn Anderson, David Carradine, Joel Feeney and David Somerville. He recently released a solo CD entitled "Lone."

Twilight Lord Will MacGregor’s talent as a bass player is sought after by other professional musicians both in the studio and on the stage. Originally from Milwaukee, he attended the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and studied with world renowned bassist Stanley Clarke. Will has recorded and played live with countless well-known artists including Tori Amos, The Pretenders, Terence Trent D'Arby, Chuck Berry, Fear, John Fogerty, Eddie Money, Rita Coolidge, Martha Reeves, Del Shannon and many others. He has recorded his own solo CD called "Welcome to the Carnival" and has also played bass on numerous television commercials including, most recently, a spot for Apple's iPhone with Meat Loaf. Will takes great pride in his Scottish ancestry and the fact that he is a descendant of the MacGregor clan and its well-known son Rob Roy.

Otis Hayes III, grew up in Austin, Texas. He later attended The University of North Texas in Denton, specializing in both drum studies under Colin Bailey and jazz composition under Dan Haerle. He moved to Los Angeles in 1989, shortly after touring Europe with the Broadway show West Side Story. In addition to his work with The Twilight Lords, he has toured, performed and/or has recorded with a variety of artists including: Donny Osmond, Rosemary Clooney, The 5th Dimension, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Boyz II Men, the late Nell Carter, Les McCann, Meshell Ndegeocello, Martha and the Vandellas, Chuck Berry and the late James Brown. He has also appeared in feature films such as "Lackawanna Blues," "Yours, Mine and Ours" and '"The Comebacks" and on television in "General Hospital," "Las Vegas," "The Ghost Whisperer" and "Dirty Sexy Money." He too has his own solo jazz CD entitled "Otis Hayes III" which also showcases his talent as a vibraphone player.

Photo Credits: Pam Marshall (Twilight Lords), Shayne McGuire/Vicki Bradley (Ken O'Malley), Shae Epps (Cary Park), Shayne McGuire/Vicki Bradley (Will MacGregor) and Dan Holmes (Otis Hayes III)