Former Voice star Kevin links up with Celtic Women
By Aura McMenamin
A Tallaght man will fly to the US to embark on cross-country tour for a show which rivals Riverdance.
Kevin Keeley (24) from Jobstown will join the hugely successful Celtic Woman tour as a backup singer as they span the US for their 2018 Homecoming Tour.
Kevin Keeley in Dublin Airport about to jet off to Orlando
The Grammy-nominated Irish music show is over 12 years old and has produced several DVD releases of live performances in venues in Dublin and Kerry as well as platinum-selling albums.
Celtic Woman is comprised of four young Irish women— vocalists Susan McFadden, Mairéad Carlin and Éabha McMahon and violinist Tara McNeill. The show features a performance collective including several backing musicians playing traditional Irish instruments.
The Celtic Woman show encompasses Irish classics, contemporary songs, classical favorites and original music.
“The audience there are crazy for them,” Kevin said about the show’s popularity in the US.
Kevin will tour for 118 days
Kevin will be one of three backup singers and will tour for 118 days, performing for 91 dates over four months.
The talented musician spoke to The Echo before flying to Florida to begin the tour about how the opportunity came about.
He said: “I’ve been in the show businesses for years. My name came up in a conversation and I got an email – I was recommended.”
Prior to this, Kevin appeared on The Voice of Ireland in 2012 as a finalist and was later given the opporunity to work in entertainment in Lanzarote.
He said: “There was a lot of attention involved. I went onto The voice with a lack of confidence, something like that really does help prepare yourself for the bigger things.
“I have been living in Lanzarote for four years. I got the opportunity to run the entertainment of a bar, the Auld Triangle.”
Kevin said that he understands the extensive touring will be “more work than play” but he’s looking forward to the opportunity.
He said: “I have a friend that has been in there for two years. He says it’s quite tough. Like Big Brother, you’re stuck with these 15 people for four months.
“Although it’s very exciting. It’s the American [tour] and the Americans love it. There’s a lot of work involved because they’re the biggest audience.”
