Tyrone singer Lee Matthews is all set to celebrate his first anniversary

Tyrone singer Lee Matthews is all set to celebrate his first anniversary on the country circuit. A gala night will be held in the Allingham Arms Hotel in Bundoran on Saturday, 7 February, to mark the occasion and Lee can hardly wait to set the woods on fire with his brand of country music.

The young man from the Castlederg region was destined to enter the world of showbusiness. From a young age, he was fascinated by the country scene. Family photos show him dressed in country style at the age of eight, in the company of such well-known names as Daniel O’Donnell, Brian Coll, Phil Begley, Jimmy Buckley, Michael English and Hugo Duncan.

With Garth Brooks as his main source of inspiration, it came as no surprise when just three years later Lee was chosen to represent Ireland at the World Performing Arts Championships in Los Angeles.

For a time, the natural attraction of performing in a boyband came beckoning and Lee answered the call. Light pop was the order of the day.

But the call of the big country was never far away and after spending some time living in Orlando, Florida, Lee returned to Tyrone and the country roots that never lost their tug on the heart of this young performer.

Still he credits his time in America with consolidating his love for country music with a new outreach that made him proud to be associated with the genre. He continued to write and listen to country music material, finding different influences in a new generation of stars like Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.

Under the guidance of manager Paul Tinney, Lee has enjoyed a good solid year on the country circuit. His first hit, Sadie’s Got Her New Dress On, a song with a strong bluegrass feel brought to his attention by Jimmy Hendry, played a major role in introducing Lee to the scene.

His debut album, A Little Bitty Country, featuring his other singles That Country Girl and There’s Irish In Our Eyes, did exceptionally well in the Irish country charts and also featured four of his own numbers.

“It is always special when you pen a song and record it,” says Lee. “There is that special sense of achievement, especially when you are happy with the outcome.

“I think the country scene, especially the dancing scene, has changed a fair bit here in Ireland over the last few years. The music is slightly different. I think songs were more of a storytelling nature some years ago. Now, they are more livelier and happy-go-lucky to fit in with the dancing scene and the jiving and all that. Of course there are some great songs that are more suited to the concert circuit, but are not ideal for a dance programme,” reflects Lee.

2015 is shaping up to be a special year for one of the new lights of country music emerging from the Ulster region. His new single, a fresh working of the old American standard Cotton Eye Joe, is due for release on iTunes on 23 January and will get its first plays on radio this week. It was produced by Jonathon Owens at his studios in Granard.

“We have a good vibe about this song,” says Lee. “I am very pleased with the production and I think it will go down a treat with dancers and radio listeners. It’s a good way to start the new year and comes out just in time for our first anniversary show in Bundoran.”

The Bundoran night is already shaping up to be a full house and Lee’s special guest on the night is Gary Gamble. Pio McCann from Highland Radio will compere the show.

Lee is very happy with his current band, which features Finian Drumm from Lifford as musical director (he spent three years with Derek Ryan’s band), Chris Bradley from Magherafelt, Stephen McBrearty from Burt, Donegal, Aidy O’Brien from Tyrone and Dominic Douglas from Dungannon.

“It’s a brilliant band and dancers love what we are doing right now,” adds Lee.

With over 100 dates in the diary already for 2015, Lee is well-established across the northern region. But a host of new dates are lending support to an artist who sees the coming year as full of potential and exciting challenges.

Among the festivals where Lee will perform in the coming months are Clonmany, Rathmullan, Inniskeen, Glenties Harvest Fair, Cowboys & Heroes in Ballinamore (Leitrim) and the Mary from Dungloe International Festival, to name just a few. He will also feature on the Highland Radio silver jubilee concert in Letterkenny on 9 March as well as at the Day with the Stars at Roscommon Racecourse on 28 June.

Dancing fans can catch Lee and his band in the Banville Hotel in Banbridge, Co Down, on Friday 23 January and in the Tullyglass in Ballymena on Saturday night. They are also performing in The Well in Moate, The Hazel Tree, Mallow, The Glencarn, Castleblayney, Josie’s in Letterkenny and The Kilmore Hotel in Cavan over the coming weeks.