Meanwhile, Kevin’s mother Carol had a thriving career as a Nashville session vocalist, singing backing vocals on pop classics like Elvis Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’ and Robert Knight’s ‘Everlasting Love’. Although he came from a musical background his Parents did not push him into music. “It’s no surprise he ended up with a tune in his head”, Ado Cunningham Event Promoter tells the Limerick Post. “I spent a lot of time in Nashville and while I was there I came across an awful lot of acts, bands and singer songwriters, who couldn’t get exposure as the record companies are just looking for another ‘hat act’ another Gareth Brooks, another guy to sing songs about pick up trucks or losing his dog”.
Kevin has built an enviable profile amongst his peers as a songwriter with double platinum selling Martina McBride recording, ‘I Won’t Close My Eyes’, for her 1997 album Evolution. Juice Newton covered Kevin’s song ‘Red Blooded American Boy’ for her 1999 release, American Girl. Kevin also sang backing vocals on Lee Ann Womack’s ‘I Know Why The River Runs’ for her platinum selling Album, I Hope You Dance. “Guys like Kevin are really the hidden side of Nashville, there are plenty of them there and it’s great when some of them get a chance to get a bit of notice.
Kevin getting a break with Martina McBride one of the biggest female country artists in the US has given him a great reputation as a singer songwriter, somebody like Martina would be very careful about the music she chooses”. As well as his now-famous ’50 dates in 50 days tours’ in the USA, Kevin’s tours with The Roadtrippers (including Robert Reynolds and Paul Deacon of The Mavericks, and long-time pal Al Perkins) with these tours amazing audiences in Ireland and the UK.
It was at one of these gigs that Ado first met Kevin. “When he was here originally I mixed the sound for him, we got on great as we both have Nashville connections. He asked me to record an album of a live gig in King Tuts Glasgow when he came back the second time with his band The Roadtrippers. He is a great singer, great guitar player and most of all he has great stage presence, he sings to every one in the room like they are the only person in the room.”
Kevin is stripping it back to basics playing solo on this acoustic date with favourites from ‘Fear Nothing’, ‘2:30am’, ‘Live from Glasgow’ and ‘True’, as well as more recently written material. “It’s an intimate show but not lacking in any of the power or the emotion of the big band sound. It commands you to really sit down, listen and appreciate it”. Support on the night from Mahlon Sweet Field Doors 8pm, tickets available online at www.dolanspub.com.