Published: March 27, 2008 02:34 pm         

Ryan performs at Playhouse April 4

Cathie Ryan and her marvelous Irish Band, sponsored by Stonehaus Winery, will perform at the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville on April 4 at 7:30 p.m. CDT.

Irish American Cathie Ryan, with her crystalline vocals and insightful songwriting, is an original and distinctive voice in Celtic music. Since her acclaimed seven-year tenure as lead singer of Cherish the Ladies, the Detroit born Ryan has established herself as one of Celtic music’s most popular and enduring singer-songwriters. The Boston Globe recently wrote, "Cathie Ryan is a thrilling traditional vocalist whose honey-pure soprano is equally at home on probing original ballads about a woman's place in the modern world."

Ryan is a captivating and deeply affecting performer. “There is nothing like a live show, being with an audience, sharing the music. That is the best part of being a singer and writing songs,” she says. She has built a loyal following throughout Europe and North America by touring steadily and singing “songs of the heart.” At a live performance The Irish Echo observed, "Cathie Ryan certainly knows how to communicate with her audience. And what she communicates through song are the enduring values of home, family, memory, and spirit..."

In 2003 Ryan was included in the famous Irish music collection, A Woman’s Heart – A Decade On, placing her amongst Irish music’s finest female vocalists and songwriters. It was the first time Americans were featured in the series and she shared the honor with Allison Krauss, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. In recent years, her original songs have been recorded by such distinguished Irish vocalists as Frances Black and Mary Black among others. Cathie was voted one of the Top 100 Irish Americans by Irish America Magazine, Chicago’s Irish American News honored her as Irish Female Vocalist of the Decade, and the LA Times recently named her, “One of the leading voices in Celtic music.”

Tickets can be purchased from the Playhouse Box Office at 484-5000. Visit them online at www.ccplayhouse.com to view their full season schedule and additional information.