Nathan Carter is set to walk the line by channelling his inner Johnny Cash with a gig in Castlerea prison in Co Roscommon – for a good cause.
Country music legend Cash famously performed for prison inmates on numerous occasions – and now the Co Fermanagh crooner is following in Johnny’s footsteps.
The Liverpudlian, who has made Ireland his home, will play a special concert behind bars for the staff at Castlerea and the wider community with the gig streamed on the Prisoner TV channel.
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Nathan, 34, revealed: “My road manager’s brother has been working in the prison for 15 years now. They came to us and suggested that we do a gig.
“I was like, ‘Jeez, that sounds like Johnny Cash, you know, going back to Folsom Prison’.”
The show is entitled Locked up at Castlerea Prison next Thursday, July 11. The Irish Prison Service released a promotional video for the event with Nathan joking that he’s found himself “in a little bit of trouble” and is going to jail.
Money raised will go towards the sensory and healing garden in the new Mayo Roscommon Hospice. It will also go towards the purchase of new baby monitors and other equipment for the paediatric ward in Sligo General Hospital.
Nathan added: “My favourite singer was a guy called Merle Haggard who was actually in prison. I’ve grown up following that story of Merle Haggard, and of course, Johnny Cash then performed at the prison. Prison does get involved in a lot of songs.”
Speaking on The Brendan O’Connor Show on RTE Radio One yesterday, Nathan added: “Funnily enough, one of the reasons why I said yes to this, I was in a bar one night in Galway.
“I got chatting to a guy and he told me that he’d been in prison for five years and that my music kind of inspired him and got him through the dark times.
“Whenever I was asked to do this, I was like, yes it could be a good idea. This year for me is a year of doing new challenges, different things, just not the norm.”
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