Irish Country Singer John Glenn

Irish Country Singer John Glenn Interview
Interview by Jerry Byrne Irish radio it is and uh I've got a guest online now gentleman I spoke to him during the the peaks of uh lockdown and all the rest of the gentleman I know for many many years. He's been around for uh well a few years anyhow in music and still making music still being successful and does an incredibly successful uh live show on facebook every Friday night at eight o'clock great show it really is I'm delighted to say hello to uh the wonder John Glenn, John how are you I'm good Jerry how are you ? not bad at all john listen since I spoke to you before you've uh you've had loads of success with the with the album which has gone a storm of the Mainliners and you've also picked up another yet another award to add to your collection and you've released a single as well it's been a busy time for you yeah we I got the award for lifetime achievement award and over in the Sleive Russell at the hot country music awards  it was nice together 47 years  it says to be appreciated that's a big crowd there underneath loads of loads and loads of young acts that I've never met before that's excellent.

They're all they're trying to get together a wee award and yeah we've released a single from my I'll settle for old Ireland album  hard over mind an  song and  it's it's getting loads of airplay and all the internet radios and all local radios and so it's  just something new and something to keep the name in the name late indeed indeed I said you know what it's a it's certainly it's certainly gone a storm and  you you're at this stage you're  you're two years  doing the the facebook lives you started them off sort of at the in the early part of  lockdown in 2020  yeah well it's it's two years since the mainland myself and the main are over two years when February passed so  in on may 20 2020 it would have been 45 years when I joined the mainlanders so my daughter and eve said yeah you better you do facebook there's a few other singers doing it so  we went ahead and done it and um we're two may come and now it'll be two years during it nearly nearly every Friday it's absolutely fantastic you know well I'm well done you're getting a huge reaction a huge amount of people viewing it live and then viewing it later on.

It really has been a success story yeah absolutely fantastic a lot of our fans my my age group of fans that hadn't been out for a long time and you know so bad still I think without maybe still afraid to go out to see bands or go dancing so we kept kept in touch with them that way and so um well on Sunday coming now I'm over in Galway over in the kilt holla it's a vintage show and I know it's an outside event so  myself and  two of the boys are playing at that so hopefully we'll it'll be a it's a two-day event that jerry saw a vintage show so  hopefully meet up with a few old pointers that we haven't seen for a while indeed that would be they'll be lovely now you did it you actually did a show on Easter Sunday night in  in your hometown of Crossmaglenn I thought about you know Easter Sunday it's a great night to be out playing and doing something so I didn't I was speaking to the the guys in the club and we said we'd do it and the fact that it was doing facebook we could announce it on it and give it a wee bit of a plug and  it turned out great there was a great 130 or so on the night so great great turnout absolutely fantastic yeah that really was it. It must be great to,  I know you've done another couple of  shows  yourself what I believe doing guest spots etc it must be great to you know for the likes of yourself to be you know to be able to go out and perform again after you know such a period of time where there was absolutely nothing that's that's right um like there was there was no nothing everything was shut down but things are opening up but we would on on Monday on Monday night come, I'm in the old coach in Castleblaney.

There with Raymond Waters  I do I'm sorry topping the bill there on the night and I'm in the rambling in anthem next Saturday night right do we bit some pieces here and there you know keeping and keeping the name out there excellent absolutely excellent stuff and  you're glad to glad to hear it I'm glad you're not glad to see now there's no news yet  you haven't got anything planned with the with the main liners as yet no no word yet Jerry ginger had a hip replacement there a couple of months ago so  if he was wasn't able to stay on stage for two hours you know it probably wouldn't be happening but  I'm sure if we do if we do anything it'll probably be a finale it'll be the the end of John Glenn on the mainland but we'll maybe maybe do a few weekends here and there and rather than going out and doing the Friday night here and the Saturday night there or something like that maybe going up and down for a weekend and maybe like William park or Killarney maybe indeed indeed yes can that oh yes I can, I can understand that it's very interesting actually when you do the facebook  shows on a Friday night you mentioned the dates that you did back in  19 I think it was 1977. and one thing that is astounding is the sheer number of venues and the the nights I mean you you list out where you're out maybe on a Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday and Sunday night in a row well yeah that that's a fact we're playing six and seven nights a week five and five and six and yard seven um winter and summer Jerry you know it was it was amazing when you think now you know there's not there's not a afraid and eight gig for a country band in Ireland at the minute unless it's a weekend Bundoran or something like that but there's no there's no regular Friday night dance anywhere the last one closed down the Hazel three in mallow was the last decent Friday night.

Yes in Ireland so yeah yeah, a lot of people spoke to me about reading out the dates from 77 where year 77 at the minute we're still saying you know this time of the year we'll be getting getting busier now really five and six nights a week now you know marquee is coming starting then indeed different festivals indeed it was it was a truly incredible time  you know one and this year the thing about the marquis you know back in those days that the sheer numbers of people was astounding. oh yeah it was it was once a year but so some um okay over Mayo would have had  two two deliver a marquee at Easter and then to do another one later on coming here the end of the summer and it was a it was a big thing for a small village or a small town or whatever  the marquee was up and all the the bands were a little bit we going every weekend and maybe something like that yes absolutely absolutely incredible stuff it really was  no question  no question of that yeah you know that  you but listen on all your success  you know so far and that the thing is you're still going you're still doing  live performances and live shows and  you're also  you know still releasing the material and  the single what you must say is going very well for you oh yeah well it's that's good good to have  the means that we have at the minute you know like we're speaking to you now years ago you couldn't get an interview you had to be up at the very top to maybe get interviews but it's great now to get the publicity if you're you know if you're if you're on the road walking and looking mad looking working for dates and all that type of thing but it's great to have social media and all the rest to advertise and it's it's it it's a big help to people that fans that would be looking to be working three or four nights a week indeed so indeed so does that is the thing john listen thanks a million for speaking to me it's it's lovely lovely to catch up with you again no bother at all jerry I'm not out look I look forward to watching you next year look forward to watching you next friday night no bother give you a big mention john thank you very much indeed thanks jerry all the best thanks a lot bye. Irish Country Music Songs .