I just found a reference to "...Bill Scanlon [William J. Scanlon, famous Irish singer and songwriter]..." in an online article by Tim Gracyk on Ulysses 'Jim' Walsh. The quotation is from Walsh. This is the link:

http://www.garlic.com/~tgracyk/walsh.htm

So there is/was an Irish singer and songwriter called William J Scanlon, but no indication where he comes/came from.