ABOUT REILLY & MALONEY
Reilly & Maloney, a highly regarded folk music duo whose partnership spanned five decades, delightied folk music lovers across the country and beyond. Their sound, marked by the melding of Ginny Reilly's crystal soprano with David Maloney's rich baritone and accompanied by their skilful acoustic guitar playing, charmed audiences whose support continued to sustain them as performers for five decades. Their style was marked by their impressive harmonies and by the mix of their original songwriting and covers of other artists of many genres.
Ginny Reilly and David Maloney first met in 1969 in San Francisco. They began performing together the following year, initially playing in bars, restaurants and small folk clubs in the Bay Area, gathering an increasingly loyal fan base. They began regular touring in Seattle in 1971, where they would become a cornerstone of the Northwest music scene for two decades. They released their debut album, At Last, in 1976, which received airplay at independent music stations across the country. This lead to more extensive touring, where they performed at music venues across the United States and Canada. Their ability to engage audiences and create a shared intimate experience was a hallmark of their shows.
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Reilly & Maloney released several more albums that showcased their growth as musicians and songwriters. These albums contained a mix of original compositions of personal heartfelt themes, as well as covers of contemporary and traditional folk songs.
Their songs were also featured on various folk music compilations and radio stations, further spreading their popularity. Reilly & Maloney were frequently mentioned in folk music magazines and were celebrated for their contribution to the genre, which was particularly notable during a time when folk music was undergoing a resurgence.
Though Reilly & Maloney never achieved mainstream commercial success, they were highly respected within the folk music community. Their music, often understated but deeply meaningful, earned them a place as beloved figures in the American folk scene. They remained active performers into the 1990s and early 2000s, continuing to tour and to release new material.
Over time, both Ginny and David also pursued solo careers and other musical projects, but their collaboration as Reilly & Maloney remained one of the defining moments of their careers. They continued to be rooted in the folk tradition but also forward-thinking.They are remembered as one of the most talented and genuine folk duos of their era, celebrated for their ability to craft songs that were both personal and universal. Even today, their loyal fans continue to appreciate their music's timelessness, intimacy and storytelling power. Reilly & Maloney's partnership remains a quintessential example of what folk music stands for— honest, evocative, and intimate musical expression that connects with listeners on a deep emotional level.
Our Story
David & Ginny In Their Own WOrds
DAVID
“On my wife's and my first night in San Francisco we went to a local folk club called the Drinking Gourd and on-stage was a young singer with long, flaming red hair, a magical voice, and a passionate delivery. As it turned out that singer was Ginny Reilly, who was performing her first full night there. When I approached her between sets about the local folk scene, she quickly dismissed me with a clipped comment about the time and effort it takes to get ahead not being worth it, her reply was simply, “Don’t even bother.” We still laugh about that first meeting which I remember vividly. Ginny does not!
Three months later, on January 11, 1970, Ginny came to our small apartment on Sacramento St. for a trial rehearsal. This rendezvous was arranged by Jay Kellum, a veteran San Francisco bass player with a reputation for putting groups together. He told us that solo singers were a dime a dozen and by working together we might find more opportunities to perform and possibly make a living doing what we loved. He urged us to leave our part-time jobs and fully commit to the music. We took his advice, continuing to rehearse everyday under his direction. After about three weeks we performed a short, three-song guest set at the Drinking Gourd. The audience that night loved us and we were hired on the spot to go to Lake Tahoe and perform in the lounge of a new steakhouse there. We were paid $100 apiece for four nights with a place to sleep (in a room with 6 other employees) and a free steak dinner each day.
As it turned out we were an instant hit with the tourists as well as the locals. That very first weekend in Tahoe City, we were asked to play the rest of the week at a steakhouse in Palo Alto. And so we played over forty nights straight that winter, driving up and then down from the mountains twice each week. Our crowds grew quickly and soon there was a buzz brewing about this new act with a great sound called "Dave & Ginny." At that point we were a working partnership and today as Reilly & Maloney, we're still making sweet music together".
~David
GINNY
"We were always 'making progress' in those early days, gathering new fans, even though most shows were in restaurant bars. Sometimes we would get to know our "fans" personally. We would have 20-minute breaks between sets, and often sit down with them and chat. Things got so informal that one night, the audience in Palo Alto took out kazoos and played along with David when he did his instrumental break!
There we were, singing in Tahoe City, Palo Alto, and eventually in San Francisco. This was at the Drinking Gourd, which was a step up. The "Gourd" only featured beer, wine, and music, and such music! Some of the best singers and songwriters performed there, and we would learn songs we heard, like Jim Post's "In The Mountains", and Kendall Kardt's "Dance, Gypsey Dance", both of which were on our first album. (I also remember a night that Shel Silverstein performed there.)
Then we were asked to sing in Seattle by the company that owned the Tahoe restaurant. We would sing 5 nights a week, for 4 weeks, twice a year, and, as in the Bay Area, audiences seemed to take a shine to us. Of course, the restaurant, a steak house, was not large, and its bar in particular was cozy. There was a long, narrow entryway for people who just wanted to hear the music, rather than have dinner. One night, there was a line of people waiting to get in, and we had to use it ourselves, being careful not to bump them with our guitars. (I remember a famous Seattle mountain climber in that line one night, Jim, do you remember?).
Jack came along at just the right time for us. He understood promotion and publicity, and his business experience provided him with contacts in the Seattle advertising sector, primarily with Terry Heckler, who created the popular ads for Rainier beer.
I remember Jack telling me that to increase interest in our music, we would have to record more albums. My heart sank. It had taken us six years to make "At Last", and now Jack wanted us to make one every 2 years! With the help of some outside financing, we put out "Alive" in 1978, Good Company in 1979, and Every Day in 1980. Jack became our manager and opened up an office for Freckle Records in Pioneer Square. Terry Heckler designed the album covers for our two best-selling records, "Good Company" and "Every Day". These were recorded at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, WA.
At the time we released At Last, in 1976, we became aware of a new radio station in town, (okay Bellevue) called KAZM. I remember a day I got into my car, turned on the radio, and heard "Wild Man," what a thrill! KZAM played other songs of ours, and we owe that to the head of the station, Tom Cordry, who made sure the station focused on local, northwest music. We also appreciated the support of the KZAM DJs, in particular Leilani McCoy, who would even come to some of our shows. Her favorite songs were David's "3 AM" and my "Wild Man". We visited the KZAM studio and sang there several times. We also used KZAM to advertise our shows as we graduated to larger venues, and Jack became acquainted with a student at the University of Washington named Dan Mortensen. We had a show coming up there in May of 1979, and we needed someone to provide sound amplification for a larger audience than usual. Dan was a senior and had his own sound system, having created it for his high school dances and some college events. Our shows were a great success, and Dan, after graduating, became our "sound man" for all the shows that we promoted, to the end of our career!
In the 1980s, we hit our stride. Jack had been attending meetings for managers of independent musical groups (not signed to record labels) and was making connections with other managers and promoters. In addition, Jim Post, our singer/songwriter friend whom we had met at the Drinking Gourd, brought us to his hometown of Chicago. Tom Dundee, singer-songwriter and composer of "Delicate Balance", helped us get a job at a club in New Hampshire. We performed at The Earl of Old Town (Chicago), where we met Steve Goodman, Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where we met David Mallet, composer of The Garden Song, and The Folklife in Peterborough, New Hampshire. We also sang at folk festivals in Winnipeg, Canada, and Philadelphia.
Back in Seattle, we started performing at the Olympic Hotel, in their "sports bar," Casey's. Of course, we didn't start singing until 8:00, and by then, no one was watching TV. It held about 200 people, which was a larger group than we were used to. Fortunately, the radio airplay that we got drew a lot of our fans. One night, however, there was an exception. A lady at the back of the room shouted out repeatedly that she wanted to hear "Goodbye To Tennessee," a song we did by Jim Post and had recorded. It was our policy to never honor a verbal request (it had to be written down and handed to us in between sets). So we kept ignoring her. Finally, she got so upset that she walked down and stepped onto the stage in between songs, and with tears in her eyes, said that she was a dancer, loud enough that the audience could hear her. We agreed to sing the song while she sat on the side of the stage. After that, hotel employees escorted her from the room, and we went on. But that night was the inspiration for David's song "Amanda Came To Dance".
Before we leave the 80s, I would be remiss not to mention the Silver Spoon, a historic old building in Duvall, Washington, owned by Ed and Donna Beeson. The restaurant downstairs had an old-fashioned, country feeling, and the acoustics in the hall upstairs where we played were wonderful. The audiences were always enthusiastic, and we could count on a piece of one of Donna's delicious pies after the show. We were also privileged to perform occasionally at the University of Washington's Meany Theater, where we would be the opening act for Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, and Tom Paxton. While I'm at it, let me mention the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. There, we opened for Sarah Vaughn, The Lime Lighters, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee, and John Hartford. We also did many shows at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley.
In early 1989, we started to think about retiring. We were tired from all the traveling, and I had 2 little kids to take care of. In January of 1990, we did our (first) 'final' show at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. It was a grand event; Charlie, aged 6, even wore a tuxedo!
Fast forward about a decade. I pursued a music degree at Shoreline College, and had a job at Group Health Cooperative. David continued teaching at Marin County Day School. Somehow he also found time to look for jobs for us, becoming our new de facto manager. I came down to the Bay Area again; we rehearsed, and did two nights at a club in Palo Alto. This time we had fun! I remember coming back to Seattle and telling my co-workers how happy our audience was to see us again!
So gradually, David and I began singing together more often, traveling back and forth between Seattle and Marin County, where David lived with his wife Tebby and their son Danny. In 2003 we met Wes Wedell. Some friends of mine (Ron and Eva Sher, owners then of the Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue, where I had done solo shows) invited David and me to go with them to a Willie Nelson concert at Marymoor Park. They also invited a young man named Wes Wedell. David and Wes happened to sit next to each other, and during intermission Wes mentioned that he occasionally produced concerts for the Seattle Folklore Society. David asked if he could help us find venues in the Northwest, and that was the beginning of our wonderful years with Wes. From 2003 until 2016, Wes played various roles for us, finding us new venues to play, introducing us before we came onstage, backing us up with his mandolin, and driving us home after late night shows, which was especially appreciated.
ORIGIN BIOS
