MUSIC Country queen to grace Valentine Ball

Country queen to grace Valentine Candlelight Ball


Henry McGlade

The Western Care Valentine Candlelight Ball this year takes place on Saturday, February 7, in Breaffy House Resort. The glittering black-tie night will include a champagne reception, a five-course gala dinner, fantastic prizes and dancing with Wavelength.
Guest speaker this year is one of Ireland’s queens of Irish country music, singer/songwriter Sandy Kelly. Famous for her solo success and her involvement with bands such as The Fairways, The Duskey Sisters and and of course her cover of Patsy Cline’s song ‘Crazy’, which became one of Ireland’s biggest selling records of 1989.
Sandy Kelly has recorded with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Hamilton IV, Glen Campbell, Patsy Cline, Jett Williams (Hank William’s daughter), Randy Van Warmer, The Jordanaires, Chet Atkins and more recently Hal Ketchum to name but a few. She also toured with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Slim Whitman, and had two gold records with Cash – ‘Woodcarver’ and ‘Ring of Fire’ – as well as a gold album and single for her Patsy Cline tribute recordings.
One of her biggest successes in her glittering career was the lead role in ‘A Musical Tribute To Patsy Cline’, which toured Britain for a record 37 weeks before opening in London’s West End. Sandy made over 500 appearances in this show before moving onto writing and directing her own Patsy Tribute Show ‘Patsy Cline: The Concert’, which has been a phenomenal success.
Her greatest hits CD, ‘The Best of Sandy Kelly’, contains some of Sandy’s finest work from her enduring and magical musical journey. The 22-track album has many of Sandy’s hit songs through the years and features some wonderful duets with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline and Glen Campbell.
“It was my pleasure to sing with my favourite female artist, Sandy Kelly,” Johnny Cash once said, adding: “In America she has been Ireland’s greatest ambassador. She won the hearts of everyone who saw her. I am honoured to be included as one of the guest artists on her album.” Willie Nelson is also a fan, and like Cash, he didn’t hold back when praising her. “Sandy Kelly is, in my opinion, one of the top 15 female artists in the world,” he said.

Tickets (€50 per person; 10 percent discount for bookings of ten people or more) are available from Teresa Ward, Development Officer, Western Care Association, who can be contacted at 087 2467857 or 094 9029174. Special rates available for overnight accommodation when booked directly with Breaffy House Resort.