Celtic Thunder's Paul Byrom Releases Solo Album THIS IS THE MOMENT; Plays B.B. Kings in NYC, 9/21

Celtic Thunder has been one of the great musical phenomena of the past decade. Since their debut in 2007, the Irish vocalist supergroup has conquered the world, becoming PBS favorites and topping the world music charts in the U.S. and top concert attractions everywhere. Original Celtic Thunder vocalist Paul Byrom decided in Fall of 2010 to leave the group, in order to re-locate to the States and launch his worldwide solo career with a new solo recording. The resulting album, THIS IS THE MOMENT has been released and is available online and at all shows. It has become the No. 1 download on iTunes.

Byrom's concert tour will take him to the New York area on Sept 21, 2012. He will be at B.B. Kings Blues Club and Grill. The show starts at 8PM and tickets are available through the B.B. Kings website and Ticketmaster.com.

"Getting to tour the U.S. with a new album as a soloist is the ambition of a lifetime. America has always been very welcoming to Irish singers and performers, possibly because of the large amount of Irish-Americans," Paul says. "After four years of laying the groundwork with Celtic Thunder it is great to get out on my own and show the full range of what I do."

As a classically trained singer, Paul Byrom brings his spectacular voice to an impressive range of material on THIS IS THE MOMENT, which includes semi-classical material, Irish-inflected song and unique interpretations of popular songs as diverse as Bette Midler's "From A Distance" to a unique ballad interpretation of The Beatles "All My Loving." Two compositions by songwriter/producer/recording artist extraordinaire Phil Coulter, who was musical director/composer for Celtic Thunder and whose songs have been recorded by Sinead O'Connor, Van Morrison and Elvis, among others, are highlights.

Paul Byrom's vocal talent drew the attention at an early age. Born in Dublin, he began voice study and training when he was just seven years old and went on to study as a tenor under the legendary Dr. Veronica Dunne, Ireland's leading lady of opera and renowned vocal teacher. A thorough grounding in classical technique gave Paul a strong foundation as a vocalist. He was a professional singer by his early teens and recorded his first album, as a boy soprano, when he was just 14. A second album, VELVET, was released in Ireland in 2005 and hit #2 in the Irish music charts. As a result, Paul made many appearances on Irish television and radio, including CELEBRITY JIGS AND REELS, a dance-concept show similar to Dancing With The Stars. A Christmas album by Paul even hit the Billboard Classical chart.

Paul's talent has already taken him far and wide. Some of the many highlight’s of his career to date include performing for such dignitaries as President Barack Obama, Irish President Mary McAleese, Emperor Akihito of Japan, former Irish President and UN Commissioner for Human Rights,, Mary Robinson and many others. Paul, who is an avid sports fan, has performed at such high-profile sporting events as a Pittsburgh Steelers football game, six All-Ireland Soccer Finals in Dublin, the world famous Barcelona soccer team, and is now a regular performer for the Boston Celtics basketball games.

Now based in Queens, NY, Paul Byrom is ready for an exciting new phase in his career. "I am truly excited about what lies ahead for me," he says, "but I know I've made a lot of friends along the road who will never let me walk alone."

For further information on Paul and additional concerts, check out his website at paulbyrom.ie.

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter-Keddy