Susan McCann

Susan McCann

There is no stopping Susan McCann, Ireland’s First Lady of Country music and even after over 46 years in showbusiness she continues to diversity, forge new career paths, win awards and gain even greater admiration for her talents from fans and music industry chiefs both at home and abroad.

What is the secret of her success in the competitive cauldron that the Country music scene in Ireland and internationally can be? Well perhaps it is down to the sincerity she has shown since starting out as a teenage singer at 16 of always putting the fans first and to diversify for their demands.

She has successfully co-hosted her own TV series, presents a syndicated radio show, entertained two former US Presidents, shared stages with the greats of American Country including Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette gigging from Newry to Nashville to Norway, St Petersburg in Russia, South Africa, Florida’s famous Strawberry Festival to Switzerland.

Awards have come her way aplenty, over 50 in total, with the latest being inducted into the UK’s Country Music Hall of Fame in November 2017, only the second performer from Northern Ireland to get this honour, the other being her great friend from the music scene Philomena Begley in 2003.

Across the Atlantic in the home of Country, Nashville, Susan’s unique singing style was quickly spotted too by the man who launched Dolly Parton to stardom, Porter Wagoner. Similar to Dolly he sang with her on his popular network TV show and produced two of her best-selling albums in his Fireside Studios. Speaking on his TV show Porter Wagonor said: “This lady from Ireland is so talented that I invited her to the US to sing on TV with me”. That’s praise indeed from the man who discovered Dolly Parton and launched her career.

She made six appearances on the iconic Grand Ole Opry and at Florida’s famous Strawberry Fair where she entertained two former US Presidents George Bush (Snr) and George W Bush as well as General Norman Schwarzkopf, famously know as Stormin’ Norman.

Susan came home from one of her appearances at the Florida Strawberry Festival telling everyone about a young fellow she shared the stage with named Garth Brooks who she said was destined for stardom. It’s appropriate that Garth is pictured with Susan on her double album My Heroes which also shows her with other stars she worked with including Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Charley Pride, Don Williams and many more.

“I discovered they were all down-to-earth people with no airs and graces,” says Susan.

She played at four of the Wembley International Country Festivals in London and packed over 4,000 fans into the Royal Albert Hall there, played at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Dolly Parton’s theme park Dollywood in Tennessee and before 5,000 people, including Russian statesmen, at a multi-genre music festival, featuring everything from Rap ‘n’ Rock to Country in St. Petersburg.

Susan is very kindly performing to raise project funds for: Troubles, Tragedy and Trauma (TTT) https://www.tttni.uk/home

Venue: Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith, W6 9DT

Date: Friday 28 April 2023

Doors: 7.30pm

Starts: 8.00pm

Tickets: £18/£16 Concession