Country Superstar Johnny Cash was a music industry icon for over half a century, with an instantly recognisable voice and unique musical style. The hit movie “I Walk the Line” introduced his dramatic life story and his unmistakeable, tough music to a younger generation of music lovers. Johnny Cash fans now cover three generations. Even people who might confess to hating Country Music are nevertheless enthusiastic about his legendary up-tempo hits such as Folsom Prison Blues, Ring of Fire, Get Rhythm, I Walk the Line - there are just so many great and unique songs in the Johnny Cash repertoire.

Those familiar with the highly successful bio-pic will know of the enduring love story between Johnny Cash and June Carter. A member of the iconic country music group The Carter Family, June grew up in showbiz and became an accomplished comedienne. singer, and song

writer - a true music professional. Together they were a towering force in American Music.

Vocalist & stage writer Barry Ferrier has teamed up with the talented country music artist Kathryn Jones to create an immersive music theatre show that emulates a live stage performance by Johnny Cash and June Carter, and captures the interaction between these two gifted and unique music artists.

Barry has the vocal depth to emulate the unique Johnny Cash sound and the vivacious and versatile Kathryn Jones plays the gutsy and often hilarious June Carter, as she ‘hoots and hollers’ her way through this toe-tapping, side slapping mix of great songs and stories.

Johnny Cash covered songs by many of the greatest 20th Century songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Kris Kristopherson, and Willie Nelson and in later life

he brough his unique authority to a later generation of song writers such 9 Inch Nails, U2 and Tom Petty, so the repertoire is extremely broad and interesting, including some of the greatest popular songs written over the past 60 years.

June Carter was a comedienne, songwriter and highly polished entertainer in her own right, who brought humour and warmth to the Carter/Cash live stage show and injected her unique energy and sparkle into performing the great female country songs of the era, as an important and integral part of Johnny Cash’s travelling music show.

“The June & Johnnt Country Show”, with Barry Ferrier as Johnny Cash and Kathryn Jones shining as June Carter Cash, is great entertainment that appeals across the generations and is just a whole lot of fun!

Press Release :“The June & Johnny Country Show”

Press Kit Enquiries and bookings Barry FerrierP.O. Box 8 Bangalow 2479PH: 02 6687 1594MOB: 0405 788 433email: design@byronbayinteractive.com Th

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“...foot stompin’ grooves, bareboned Delta fingerpickin styles, dobro guitar, fiery cajun accordian, honky-tonk piano, and outstanding blues vocals with lush gospel harmonies”.

Multi-insturmentalist and soloists Slim Pickens and Dr. Baz have been performing together for 10 years on the North Coast of NSW and SE Queensland and have played in Europe and the UK, and at several major festivals.

They have been joined “on and off” by another outstanding talent, Neil McCann who is a fine guitarist and singer, but also has great skills as a drummer.

The trio have now made it a formality and officially become “The Shooflys”.

The Shooflys show is something really different to your run-of-the-mill pub fare, a refreshing, old-worlde, “happy blues” show, with a great toe-tapping beat.

This entertaining, talented, and award-winning trio produces an authentic and infectious up-beat sound, featuring dobro slide and ragtime guitar in a ‘blues and roots’, Ry Cooder-influenced style, combined with some exciting boogie woogie piano and cajun accordian, Neil’s great shuffle drum beat, supporting powerful vocals, all delivered with a warm, “old timey” quality.

Enjoyed by young and old, The Shooflys offer a refreshing original sound, commanding residencies at Twin Towns Club on the Gold Coast, to outback Australia, and appearances at the Byron Bay International Blues & Roots Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Blues on Broadbeach and the Gympie Muster.Their recordings, have enjoyed strong reviews and received extensive ABC radio airplay..... It’s a music act worth catching - and just a whole lot of fun!

Press Release :“The Shooflys”

Experience all the toe-tapping and ee-harring fun of this great mix of upbeat blues, rag-time, western swing, zydeco, honky-tonk! People keep asked us what we play....? so we call it “cajun cowboy blues”!

Blues music has a feeling of authenticity because it grew spontaneously out of life experience - as a release from the grind, an outburst of joy, a beat you could dance to.

Blues music continues to play a big part in popular music history: look back and you’ll find the blues is one of the authentic roots of most contemporary popular music styles. It is this sense of authenticity which gives blues and other genuine folk music styles a sense of timelessness.

Fast forward to the era of digital music. Technology has changed our relationship to music and influenced the music we hear on the airwaves. Digital sound “sampling” has produced a revolution in popular music making and pop has become a kaleidoscopic melting pot of musical genres.

The commercial sheen of this ocean of digital music can ultimately make music seem bland, and authentic forms of folk music like the blues become increasingly attractive to musicians of all kinds, as they mature. To seek that nostalgic, quirky magic of authenticity becomes the passion.

Australian acoustic blues and roots music trio the Shooflys have been making that journey back to the sources of their favourite popular music styles for many years now and from these explorations have distilled their own unique musical vision that is an affectionate and whimsical tribute to the early delta blues masters - those enigmatic pioneering guitarists and amazingly versatile songwriters and story tellers.

But there are also some other exotic flavours spicing up these boys’ musical mix - a touch of cajun/zydeco and a tinge of country twang.

Contemporary blues and roots music happily embraces all these vibrant folk styles - and if you throw in a little ragtime and some upbeat western swing, and you’ve really got a strong thing going in that good ol’ musical cooking pot.

Top this off with really outstanding vocals and harmonies and you have a fantastic fresh sound. It’s fun, it’s upbeat and positive and it’s authentic.

Welcome to the World of Cajun Cowboy Blues!Experience a great blues and roots feel, multi instrumentalists- featuring dobro guitar, madolin, piano accordion, banjo, drums and guitars, plus great vocals and harmonies .. it’s a really great sound and a whole lot of fun!

About Slim Pickens

Slim got into blues as a teenager in the 60’s and played guitar in some of bands before making the switch to bass at age 18. He has played many styles of music from rock to jazz, Irish music, folk music, reggae and funk. In the 70’s he toured the length and breadth of Australia continually for 3 years with a professional funk / dance band from Perth in Western Australia.

Then in the 80’s Slim travelled to India to further his music studies, and during this period experimented and picked up skills on a range of instruments ...mandolin, sitar, dulcimer, didgeridoo, Double Bass and also recorded several albums. In the 90s he moved to Byron Bay, and began playing double bass with the rockabilly trio “The Purple Drippers”. In the early 2000s he started performing his own favourite music - Ry Cooder-influenced delta blues, and the old-timey songs handed down to him by his father, who was also a professional musician.

About Barry Ferrier

Barry gained wide experience in music theatre in his early career, appearing in the original cast of “Jesus Christ Superstar “ and “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat“ and with the Lindsay Kemp Mime Company. He was a recording artist for RCA, appearing on the ABC’s “Countdown” and opening for Ry Cooder at the Palais in Melbourne. He played bass with chart topping pop group “The Ferrets”. Later he worked as music director and composer at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane. He has appeared as support for many eminent Aussie music acts. He was also band leader and guitarist for legendary superstar Eartha Kitt on her 1994 Australian national tour.

About Neil McCann

Neil has had a lifetime in music. With excellent skills as a vocalist & guitarist, he has a brilliant funk blues sound that is captivating. He worked for many years on the Sydney music scene, where he was also a television animator, before moving to the North Coast of NSW.

CONTACT:

Slim Pickens Ph: 02 66804012Barry Ferrier Ph: 02 66871594

E-mail: slimpickens51@yahoo.com.au