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The Man In Black, the highly regarded Johnny Cash tribute show brought to life by Shawn Barker, has announced a 19-date North American fall tour. With his strikingly similar looks, baritone voice, and spot-on mannerisms, Barker’s uncanny resemblance to the original “Man In Black” revitalizes the true character and spirit of Mr. Cash himself, one of America’s greatest musical icons, for a truly one-of-a-kind show. The energetic show features Barker in character throughout the entire evening, walking the audience through each era of Cash’s life and music, including hits like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk The Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Hurt” and “Ring of Fire,” complete with a full backing band.
Following a 12-show residency at the Montreal Casino in August, The Man In Black will hit the road on August 26 stopping in such markets including Albany, Uncasville, Annapolis, Red Bank, Glenside, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Minneapolis before wrapping with a two-night stand in Quebec City on November 10 and 11. See below for full list of upcoming tour dates. Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, May 20 at 10am local time. Visit http://themaninblack.com/dates for more information and to purchase tickets.
“When you love music as much as I do and people love Johnny Cash as much as they do, there really isn’t much of a choice. I do what I do so people can continue to enjoy the music of Johnny Cash over and over again,” shares Barker. “Nothing beats a live show and since we cannot see Johnny live any more, I am proud to be celebrating his music each and every time I go on stage. As one of his greatest fans, I am as loyal to his music as the next Johnny Cash lover. We cover pretty much all of Cash’s musical career, starting with the Sun Records and early stuff up to some of the things he did with Rick Rubin and the American recordings. Johnny’s music has feeling and that’s something you get best from a live show.”
Shawn Barker’s first Man In Black show was held in 2004 at a casino in Niagara Falls and has since performed over 1,000 shows in 12 countries, selling more than half a million tickets over the course of his career. Born and raised in a working-class suburb of St. Louis, Barker took a schoolboy love for singing in church with his family and turned it into a career. The path to his current success wasn’t a straight line from gospel choir to Johnny Cash tribute act. After serving his country in the Army, Barker returned home to Missouri, took a job as a carpenter, and spent all of his free time learning how to play the guitar. He developed strength and versatility in his voice by modeling his crooning on a cast of legends – Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent. His performances quickly turned from hobby to profession, but oddly enough, Barker’s first touring gigs were portraying Elvis, not Johnny Cash. Everything changed, however, when Barker was asked to audition for the part of Cash in a Hollywood production, as it became evident to the director and Barker himself that Johnny Cash was his true calling. From that point there was no turning back.
THE MAN IN BLACK – NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
Thursday, August 4 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Friday, August 5 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Saturday, August 6 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Sunday, August 7 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Thursday, August 11 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Friday, August 12 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Saturday, August 13 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Sunday, August 14 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Thursday, August 18 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Friday, August 19 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Saturday, August 20 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Sunday, August 21 Montreal, QC @ Montreal Casino
Friday, August 26 Buford, GA @ Buford Community Center
Saturday, August 27 Buford, GA @ Buford Community Center
Thursday, September 15 Plattsburgh, NY @ The Strand Center for the Arts
Friday, September 16 Beverly, MA @ Cabot Theatre
Saturday, September 17 Plymouth, NH @ Flying Monkey
Thursday, October 6 Chester, NY @ Sugarloaf PAC
Friday, October 7 Albany, NY @ Swyer Theatre
Saturday, October 8 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
Sunday, October 9 Hopewell, VA @ Beacon Theatre
Wednesday, October 12 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
Thursday, October 13 Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
Friday, October 14 Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
Saturday, October 15 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
Sunday, October 16 Lancaster, PA @ American Music Theatre
Wednesday, October 19 Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
Friday, October 21 Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
Saturday, October 22 Minneapolis, MN @ Mystic Lake Casino
Thursday, November 10 Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Capitole
Friday, November 11 Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Capitole
