Keane was born to
Irish-speaking parents originating from
Connemara and
County Kerry. His father Jimmy Keane was an old style
sean-nós singer. Both of his parents encouraged him to take up
Irish traditional music. Playing the piano accordion, he won five consecutive All-Ireland titles and many accolades. In the 1970s, he started his professional career with fellow All-Ireland fiddle champion
Liz Carroll in Chicago and the duo was named All-Ireland Senior Duet Champion in 1975. In the early 1980s, he joined with guitarist and singer-songwriter
Robbie O'Connell and banjoist and singer
Mick Moloney to form
Moloney, O'Connell & Keane, releasing two albums:
There Were Roses in 1985 (including the first recording of the iconic Irish song "
There Were Roses" penned by the Irish folk singer-songwriter
Tommy Sands and
Kilkelly in 1987, including O'Connell's signature song "
Kilkelly". In the mid-1980s, he became part of the revamped
Green Fields of America an ensemble which performs and promotes
Irish traditional music in the
United States with Mick Moloney, Robbie O'Connell, fiddler
Eileen Ivers (from Riverdance), multi-instrumentalist
Seamus Egan (from
Solas) and Donny and Eileen Golden, recording an album called
The Green Fields of America: Live in Concert in 1989. During the late 1980s, Keane collaborated with guitarist Dennis Cahill (of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill fame). In the mid-1990s, Keane and O'Connell formed the group Aengus and recorded
All on a Christmas Morning for the RCA Victor label. Keane founded the group bohola in 1999 with Pat Broaders (
bouzouki,
dord and vocal) and Seán Cleland (
fiddle,
viola). bohola released several albums on the Shanachie and bohola music labels, performing traditional Irish tunes and songs as well as more contemporarily composed tunes and songs of the same genre. The 2008 bohola release,
Jimmy Keane & Pat Broaders was awarded "Celtic Album of the Year" from Just Plain Folks and "Vocal/Instrumental Album of the Year". Keane won "Male Musician of the Year" from the
Irish American News (2010), "Male Musician of the Decade" by Live Ireland and the
Irish American News (2011). Keane was also featured in the BBC TV series and compilation recording
Bringing It All Back Home, and was featured on the soundtrack and recording for the PBS documentary
Out of Ireland. He also co-wrote the soundtrack for the
PBS documentary
Irish Chicago. ==Discography==