(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Man In Black, a highly regarded Johnny Cash tribute show brought to life by Shawn Barker, is gearing up for a 17-date North American fall tour that stops locally in Red Bank on Friday, October 14 at the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at Count Basie Center for the Arts. Showtime is 8:00pm.
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.
Tickets are available for purchase online.
“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,” continued Barker. “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 Count Basie Center for the Arts is located at 99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank, New Jersey.
