BWW Interviews: Keith Harkin of CELTIC THUNDER

Keith Harkin is a featured soloist in the iconic group Celtic Thunder. Hailing from County Derry located in Northern Ireland. Last week I visited with him and we talked about Celtic thunder to the release of his first solo album.

Harkin has been playing music his entire life. "I've been singing since I was four years old. I had a normal progression into music. I began singing in choirs and plays. I also have a high standard of singing and playing."

He also plays several instruments including guitar and piano and is sponsored by the McPherson Guitars. " I love playing guitar and singing. I also love piano, but they're difficult to take on the road because of their size. I'm also into songwriting and I've written music for different artist." Harkin said

This year Keith released his first solo album. "It took about a year to record and produce. Grammy Award winning producer David Foster, who is the new chairman to Verve Records, produced the album. Harking was also on the first artist signed to the label. "The album was the number one album in America for four weeks!" Harkin said. It was also the number one record in other countries for several weeks.

While being on the road most of the year, his favorite place to visit is home. " I live on a boat, which I also work on, however this year I haven't been home a lot to work on it. I also spend Christmas with my parents, but that is often cut short due to my touring schedule. I do love being on the road though."

You can catch Keith and the rest of Celtic Thunder at the Lied Center on October 25th. Tickets are available through the Lied Center Box Office or by visiting liedcenter.org.