A two times winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, Graham's lyrics feature on 'You Hit Me', one of the stand-outs from Josh Groban's Closer album which is number one this week in America, selling two million copies in the process.
"'You Raise Me Up' is one of those rare and very special songs," says Darragh Kettle, the M.D. of peermusic Ireland who own the publishing rights. "We're delighted at its success and how well-received it's been by so many people. You're witnessing a standard in the making."
Due in Ireland in March, Groban is performing 'You Raise Me Up' at Superbowl XXXVIII as a tribute to the seven astronauts who died last year when the Columbia Space Shuttle exploded shortly before landing.
"That people would consider one's work appropriate to honour the nobility, courage and supreme sacrifice of the Columbia astronauts is beyond anything I could have imagined," Brendan Graham reflects ahead of the February 1 NFL final. "There is a profound recognition of how inadequate any song is in this context but also, too, an overwhelming sense of thankfulness at it being chosen."
Also an accomplished novelist, Graham's next tome, The Brightest Day, The Darknest Night, is published by Harper Collins in October.