Beth nielsen chapman starts irish tour in castlebar
BETH Nielsen Chapman will be releasing her latest single, ‘Simple Things’, on September 26. Taken from her 2014 album Uncovered, the release of the single will coincide with a nationwide tour of Ireland.
The tour starts in the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, on Saturday (September 20) and in total Beth will perform 12 gigs around the island of Ireland.
From writing hits for other artists to recording her own, twice Grammy-nominated Beth Nielsen Chapman has truly embraced musical diversity. A breast cancer survivor, environmental activist, teacher of workshops and lecturer on the magic of creativity, she’s penned numerous hits and written songs for many top artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Michael McDonald, Amy Grant, Keb Mo’, Roberta Flack, Waylon Jennings, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Bette Lavette and many more.
Her music has been heard on ER, Dawson’s Creek, Providence and Felicity, and in movie soundtracks such as The Prince of Egypt, Message In A Bottle, The Rookie, Where The Heart Is and Practical Magic.
Mega-hit ‘This Kiss’, sung by Faith Hill, was ASCAP’S 1999 song of the year and garnered a Grammy nomination and Nashville NAMMY’S 1999 songwriter of the year.
Among Beth’s own recordings, the groundbreaking ‘Sand & Water’, released following the death of her husband from cancer in 1994, was performed by Elton John on his 1997 US tour in place of ‘Candle In The Wind’ to honour the memory of Princess Diana, while Deeper Still was voted album of the year by BBC2’s Terry Wogan.
On Beth’s new release, 2014’s Uncovered, she rolls out a batch of songs that have been covered by other artists but which she has never recorded herself. Most were top 10 hits, seven of which topped the charts.
Recorded in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and her own Tree House Studio in Nashville, Uncovered opens with a crystalline piano that gives way to an infectious groove on ‘Simple Things’, with backing vocals by Kim Carnes (of ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ fame), while a host of other guest artists lend their talents to the project.
Chapman’s prowess at writing in a wide range of styles shines through on this collection, but the true thread that runs through it all is a great passion for the well-written song. It is also clear that she Beth had a whole lot of fun performing these songs, and has no trouble bringing them home and making them her own once again.
Tickets for Beth’s Royal Theatre show cost €22.90 and are available in person from Ticketmaster outlets or the venue box office, by phone on (094) 902311 or 0818 300 000, or online at www.royaltheatre.ie or www.ticketmaster.ie.