About
Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer Ciaran Gribbin is a celebrated Irish musical talent. The man who co-wrote Madonna's worldwide hit 'Celebration' with the iconic superstar and producer Paul Oakenfold, Ciaran has collaborated and written songs with some of the most respected names in the music industry — including Andrew Farriss (INXS), Johnny McDaid (Snow Patrol) and Pam Sheyne.
His songwriting network reads like a who's who of the craft. He has written with Andrew Farriss, the INXS co-founder and chief songwriter behind 75 million records sold, and his bandmate Jon Farriss and bassist Garry Gary Beers. He has penned songs with Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol — the Northern Irish songwriter who co-wrote Ed Sheeran's global smash 'Shape of You' — and with Pam Sheyne, the Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter behind Christina Aguilera's number one hit 'Genie in a Bottle', whose songs have sold more than fifty million records.
He has also collaborated with Alain Whyte, Morrissey's principal songwriting partner of over a decade, who has since written for Madonna, Chris Brown and the Black Eyed Peas, and with CJ Vanston, the Hollywood composer and producer whose credits span Toto, Joe Cocker, Def Leppard, Ringo Starr and Barbra Streisand.
Born during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, Ciaran came of age against a backdrop of conflict, division and raw human drama. Those formative years in Belfast and Derry — spent playing gig after gig in the city's toughest bars — shaped him into the instinctive storyteller and emotionally fearless songwriter he is today.
Ciaran was a founding member of beloved Irish band Leya, which toured for seven years with major acts including Snow Patrol and Embrace, and released the critically acclaimed album Watch You Don't Take Off. The band was nominated for Best New Act at the Irish Meteor Music Awards.
His first major breakthrough came in 2010 when the Grammy nomination for 'Celebration' catapulted him onto the world stage. He soon became a fixture at the world's biggest music festivals, including Brazil's legendary Rock in Rio.
A magnetic live performer, he has shared stages with Paul McCartney, Crowded House, The Script and Gotye — and his reputation as a composer grew in equal measure. He wrote all the songs for the U2-supported feature film Killing Bono, produced the soundtrack for Phillip Ridley's Heartless (released by Universal), and had songs placed in films including Wild Target starring Emily Blunt and Bill Nighy, and Love & Suicide — the first American movie shot entirely in Cuba. His music has also appeared on Home & Away, Neighbours and Newsweek USA.
In 2011, Ciaran became the singer of legendary Australian rock band INXS, touring extensively across South America, Europe and Australasia and cementing his place among the great live performers of his generation.
His song 'Hey Baby Doll', performed by Al Pacino in the critically acclaimed film Danny Collins, earned an Oscar shortlist nomination — proof that his songwriting speaks across every stage and screen.
Ciaran is also the co-founder of Rock and Roll Team Building, a business designed to introduce the transformative power of music as an intentional audience engagement tool at business events around the world.