Nearly 20 years ago Taheny departed Australian shores and established her own standing within the European touring circuit. But her story starts long before that.
The ninth in a family of twelve children, Edithburgh (Yorke Peninsula) could not contain her lust for life, her passion for music, her aspirations for a career as a singer songwriter, her ocean of ambition, her lack of common sense! In retrospect, the driven Taheny had no idea what she was getting herself into, only that she couldn’t resist a challenge. And still can’t.
After university (high school Phys Ed and Music teacher) Ronnie formed and fronted the outrageous “This House Is Jumping” then successfully used this apprenticeship to launch a solo career.
It was in Melbourne, 1993 that Taheny was recognised and awarded the “Most Outstanding Individual Performer in Australia” but had already established “Arty Records” in 1994 and bought her ticket to Europe, seeing the need to get to larger populations and compete at a global level.
Within the first year of living in Ireland she’d worked with Fairport Convention and Ani diFranco in the Galway Arts Festival. She also had her first chart success with “Saviour” which enabled her to work with some of her favourite peers, David Gray, Luka Bloom, Tom Robinson, Aimee Mann, and Billy Bragg. History would repeat itself in 1996 when Ronnie was chosen by the Irish Music Industry as Ireland’s “Best Unsigned Act”. She was then invited to New York for showcases in Central Park and the then legendary CBGB’s.
Live, Taheny has a cheeky and charismatic stage presence full of roguish charm and boundless energy.These lively shows always come with some amusing anecdotes, acerbic poems or spontaneous one-liners. Whether on piano or 11-string guitar her passion, energy and irreverence can’t help but envelop you.
She’s Patti Smith crossed with Pippi Longstocking.