Jimmy Ferguson

Who is Jimmy Ferguson?

James Francis "Jimmy" Ferguson was a founding member of the Irish-Canadian folk group The Irish Rovers. He was the only member who did not play an instrument.

Ferguson was born in Belfast to a Roman Catholic family. He emigrated to Canada as a young man, and met George Millar in 1963 at an Irish function in Toronto. They decided to form a folk duo and the following year were joined by Millar's cousin, Joe Millar. After touring the province of Ontario, they recruited Millar's brother, Will, in Calgary, and adopted the name The Irish Rovers.

Ferguson's voice is heard in several Irish Rovers recordings, including "The Orange and the Green" and the 1981 hit "Wasn't That a Party". Ferguson suffered a heart attack in New Zealand in 1992 and continued to have heart problems for the rest of his life. He died while on tour in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1997 at the age of 57.