john byrne

Blue moons are magical things. Rare are their appearances and seldom do they herald change. But when the cosmos align in just the right way, the conditions favour the birth of a STAR.In these parsley, sage & rosemary times, a true talent can stand head and shoulders above the throbbing masses, to light the way for the emerging artist. A troubadour so concise, so honest, so TRUE, that folk who hear him cannot but feel life surge from inside them with every pick and strum, surfacing, emerging further from its long concealed domain, far from the reach of the heart, to blink in the light and declare that, yes, I too exist.Such a talent has arrived. His name is Bob Dylan.John Byrne likes Bob Dylan. He also likes The Beatles, Paul Simon and The Beach Boys. His songs rhyme (most of the time) and he has a nice soft voice. None of your shouty stuff. Simple love songs are his trade. Often, they’re about women. But he has been known to sing about dogs. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if he’s singing about a woman or a dog but you can safely assume it’s one of the two.Born in November 1982, John held his first guitar at the age of two and was revealed as a child prodigy. In 1985, he was nominated for a Grammy for his third composition, “Nappy Changin’ Blues”, crawling away with an award in the category, “Best Pre-Pubescent Country & Western Composition (Solo)”. Building on this success, he began recording albums under the pseudonym “Wailing John Byrne” until he realised his style and moniker failed to compliment each other. He became “Quietly Sobbing John Byrne” and went on to even greater success.Between 1986 and 2002, John aged a total of 16 years. In 2002, he made a break from his past and performed a low-key gig with “Nappy Changin’ Blues” absent from his setlist for the first time. Braving taunts and hecklers shouting “Moses”, he forged ahead and played a legendary show that changed the face of songer-singwriting….FOREVER.Songs like “Meant For Me”, “Home To Me”, “My Oh My”, “Me, Myself & I”, “Me, Me, Me (It’s All About)” and “You (Are In Love With Me)” show John to be a talent capable of dealing with all manner of subjects with clarity, sensitivity and monogamy.Some artists change styles every year. Some artists change lives every day. Some change the world in their lifetime.John Byrne changes his underwear twice a week.The next time you see a John Byrne fly poster, somewhere in Dublin, step closer. You’ll be taking your first step to a new world; a world filled with music, melody, good times and new friends. I took the step and I never came back.Please send money.George Kane PLECTRUM COLLECTOR ISSUE.2, OCTOBER 2004I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4