Richie Kavanagh has now topped 6m hits with his recording of Chicken Talk. The song was posted on Facebook back in March and became a sensation. Last weekend it broke through the latest milestone. His new release, My Girl Has a New iPhone, is another winner for the Carlow troubadour.

12 August marked the birthdays of two of America’s acclaimed country singers. Buck Owens and Porter Wagoner, icons of traditional country music and superstars of the genre, share the same birthday. Both, now sadly deceased, were members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Lee Matthews is excited about It’s A Great Day To Be Alive, a feel-good uptempo song. Producer Jonathan Owens has been raving about the song and Lee has decided to go with it. It is the follow-up to his hugely popular recording of Cotton Eye Joe.

Don’t She Look Good When She Smiles is the new single from Gerry Guthrie. The Mayo man was honoured with the Country Performer of the Year award at the Country Sounds awards last march. Condolences are also tendered to Gerry on the death of his uncle, Mickie Guthrie, in Castlebar last week.

The Ryan Turner Band, also featuring Joe McNamee and John Doherty, are much in demand all over the country. They are also the resident backing band for the Phil Mack Country Shows and were in Seacroft Hemsby, Britain, last weekend.

Michael Farrell, who hails from Daingean, has just released a tribute album to Johnny Cash called 20 For Cash. The Offaly man has recorded 20 of his favourite Johnny Cash songs from over the years, including Forty Shades of Green and New Mexico.