Mike Denver will host a series of meet and greet sessions to mark the launch of his new album, Cut Loose, next week. The Portumna man will visit Downtown Records in Castlebar on 15 April at 1pm.

Mike will conduct a signing session in Stewart’s Record Shop in Dungannon on 16 April at 2.30pm and will be in OMG in Shop Street, Galway, on 17 April. Fans of Mike in the Cavan region can see him when he calls to Multi-Sounds in Cavan town on 20 April at 2pm. The new album features a variety of styles and Mike says he is very pleased with the choice of material for his first recording venture of 2016.

Fans of Big Tom and The Mainliners are on a high this week. The legendary singer and band has announced three dates in May to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first hit song, Gentle Mother, recorded back in 1966.

ADVERTISEMENT

The dance shows will be in the Clanree Hotel, Letterkenny, on Friday 13 May, The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, on Saturday 21 May, and the West County in Ennis on Saturday 28 May. All three shows will feature Big Tom and The Mainliners, with support each night by The Outlaws.

As of now, tickets are not being sold in advance and will be available at the door each night, just like in the old days. It is understood that all three hotels are already booked out for accommodation since the news broke last week.

Meanwhile, the second hour of a two-hour documentary on Big Tom, recorded in the family home, goes out on the Keep It Country Channel on Sky 389 and Freesat 516 on Tuesday 19 April at 11pm. Don’t miss it.

a country icon

Merle Haggard has passed on. He died last week on his 79th birthday and was doing shows up until a few months ago. I recall hearing Merle on the AFN (American Forces Network) shows coming in late at night on medium-wave radio from Germany in the early 1970s. I always loved his songs and stories. He truly was an iconic figure. His autobiography, My House of Memories, tells the story of a man who saw life from all sides. We will feature a tribute to Merle in next week’s issue.

Rolling out the singles

Offaly-based group Roslyn have launched their new single We Want No Irish Here. The song, written by the late Armagh singer Tommy Makem, who performed with The Clancy Brothers for many years, sees Stephen Rosney on vocals and also features Liam O’Connor on accordion as well as the musical talents of Kane O’Rourke, Gabe Brasil and Daniel Boland.

Kevin Logue from Bawnboy, Co Cavan, is a talented singer, musician and song-writer. He has opted for the Don Williams classic, Come Early Morning, as his new single. This is a lovely rendition of a great country song.

Farewell to Carlingford, a song composed by Tommy Makem, is the new single from Leslie and John of Blue Lace. While Looking For A Girl is the catchy new release from Max T Barnes and Lisa Stanley.