Touring with John Prine a dream come true for Tanya

Ardara’s Tanya McCole on stage with the legendary John Prine.

SINGER Tanya McCole has described her tour with legendary folk artist John Prine as a lifetime dream fulfilled.

The Ardara woman has just returned from supporting Prine on his latest European tour, performing in Oslo, Amsterdam and the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

Prine, whose hits include Sam Stone, Hello in There and Angel from Montgomery, has strong links to Donegal with his wife, Fiona Whelan, originally from the Ardara area.

Fiona joined her husband and Tanya as they performed to sell-out audiences across the three capitals. And speaking after returning home to Donegal, Tanya revealed how she got to duet with the two time Grammy winner from Illinois on a number of his best known songs.

“The whole experience was just fantastic,” said Tanya.

“John is such a gentleman. He would greet me with a ‘Hi Tanya’ and it was like we were old friends. We did a few songs together, Unwed Fathers, In Spite of Ourselves which he originally duetted with Iris DeMent on and Paradise. The whole thing was a dream come true.”

A former postman, John Prine wrote music as a hobby before being discovered by Kris Kristofferson. His unique brand of bluegrass Americana made him one of the most influential songwriters of his generation and in his own melancholy style he continues to write songs about love, life, politics and war.

It was several years ago that he stumbled upon Tanya McCole, a formidable singer/songwriter in her own right.

“John has been a fan of mine for years,” the Ardara woman revealed.

“His wife is from here in Ardara and it was through her that he first heard me. He has always liked my singing and many years ago he sent me a note telling me not to give up on it. I actually met him when I was about 16 although I didn’t realise who he was until I saw him again years later. When I caught on I just thought ‘Ah Tanya, how did you not know’.”

Revealing how the support slot on Prine’s European gigs came about, Tanya explained, “I was coming home from a gig one night and it hadn’t been one of my best. So I was a bit grumpy. I got into the house and the phone buzzed and it was John’s management team asking if I would support him in Dublin. Then they asked if I fancied going to Oslo and Amsterdam. It was all completely out of the blue but it was a dream come true at the same time because I had sat in the audience for years and watched him. I always said to myself ‘some day, some day I’ll be singing those songs’. All of a sudden it happened.”

John and Tanya share a moment. In spite of themselves of course…

Prine’s battles with ill health have been well documented. In early 1998 he was diagnosed with cell cancer and had to have part of his neck removed. In 2013 he was diagnosed with cancer again, this time in his left lung.

The surgeries have done little to quell his creative abilities though and he continues to tour and perform. Last year he played to a sell out audiences in Letterkenny and Derry.

“He’s like the Duracell bunny,” said Tanya.

“He just keeps going and his voice at the moment is unreal. John has battled cancer twice but is still putting on a full two hour show and he always has the crowd stamping for more. He’s an incredible man.”

Touring with Prine marks another high in the career of Tanya McCole. She has just released her latest album, Because of You, a collection of original songs bar one bonus cover track.
“The album has been going well and it is great to have it out there,” said the singer.

“It has been a busy few months and the exposure from touring with John, you would be at it for years trying to get that. I know there were some big names in the mix for the European tour but he picked me. He picked me and I’m just blown away by it.

“We had a ball and so many countries in a few days was fabulous. For me it was an opportunity to see the other side of the business that artists don’t always get to see. His team have said they want to work with me again too although I have to keep my cards close to my chest on that. It’s exciting though.”

Because of You is available from all the usual music streaming sites. Meanwhile you can catch Tanya McCole in concert every Monday night in McGinley’s Bar, Letterkenny.

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