Local country singer Alex Roe to perform with Margo at Tullamore concert

Young country music star Alex Roe will be among the special guests joining the legendary Margo at her forthcoming Tullamore concert which is part of her 70th Birthday Celebration tour.

The Clara man will be appearing with woman known affectionately as 'the Queen of Country and Irish' in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Wednesday, July 20.

Trudi Lalor, Mick Foster and Moyra Fraser will also be performing on the night.

Although still only in his early twenties, Alex Roe's star has already been on the ascendancy in the Irish country music scene for some years.

He's had a couple of Hot Country Award wins to his name, a brilliant run to the final of TG4's long-running show Glór Tíre, and even a recent feature in RSVP Country, the new magazine edited by his former Glór Tíre mentor, Trudi Lalor.

Alex said he was humbled and excited at the prospect of being part of Margo's big night in Tullamore.

"For me, the chance to be on one of Margo's shows, and for it to be in Tullamore - which is kinda like a home-town gig for me being so close to Clara - that's something I'm so grateful for.

"To be honest, it's right up there on that list of career moments that make you feel like your dreams are coming true, and your hard work is paying off."

With a new single in the works, and some big announcements to come before the year's end, fans can soon look forward to hearing new music from the man who took the unique step of releasing three original songs right at the very beginning of his country career.

This completely bucked the trend of new artists taking the much safer option of covering a well-known classic or recent smash.

His fourth single, his first cover, was 'In The Middle', a hit by American country artist Rodney Atkins, but a song that had never been released in Ireland. That followed his 2017 debut single 'All I Need Is You' (written by Chris Kavanagh), and 'We'll Walk Hand In Hand' and 'Summer Time' (both written by Jim Roberts).

Since then, Roe has released songs like 'From Time To Time' (written by Nashville songwriting great Max T. Barnes with another Music City songsmith Kendall Marvel), 'No-One Will Ever Love You (Like I Do)' (from the pen of renowned Irish songwriter Billy Morrissey), 'Where The Boat Leaves From', and 'I Loved Her First', all achieving chart success on iTunes and - more importantly - gaining significant airplay on top of that.

Asked about the influence Margo has had on him, Alex pinpointed her authenticity as being a trait that has always stood out for him.

"Whenever I see Margo interviewed on television, I believe every word she says. And that's because her personality is so real, you just know she's being sincere, and that she wouldn't be able to be anything else. I have so much respect for her for that reason.

"And she brings that same honesty to her performances, too. When she sings, you believe every word of the song as if Margo was telling you a story from her own life. That's not easy to do. Many try, and many fail! But never Margo. The girl from Donegal is one of a kind."

Tickets for Margo's 70th birtjday celebration concert at the Tullamore Court Hotel on July 20 are available now from hotel reception or by calling 057 9346666.