Kieran Healy

London-Irishman Kieran Healy started his career as a child actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, acting with Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ben Kingsley. At the ripe old age of 12 he observed that the actors arrived to the theater on bicycles and the stagehands drove up in Jaguars! At age 17 he started working for The Who as a roadie, and by age 22 became the band’s lighting designer, touring America with them in 1979. This led to other touring clients, including the Rolling Stones (1981) Genesis and ELO, amongst others. A desire to leave that nomadic lifestyle got him into television in the early 1980s. Since then, he has lighted talk shows, game shows, variety shows and specials. In 2009 he won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lighting Design for American Idol, and has received an additional 15 nominations. His career highlights include 14 years of American Idol, the 9/11 special A Tribute to Heroes, Paul Simon's Graceland: The African Concert, Live Aid and touring with The Who and The Rolling Stones.