My name is James Keegan, a 22 year old singer-songwriter from Cork, Ireland who is currently on a tour around the world opening up for prog legend Geoff Tate.

This is my story! (Please see info about fundraiser in the linked video and pictures)

Let’s backtrack 2 years,

I left the small town of Mayfield, County Cork in the South of Ireland at 20 years old with nothing but a guitar and a chance to make a mark overseas for the first time.

Without a team, label, or map of where I was going, I took up an opportunity of a lifetime and joined my dear friends Tomas and Clódagh McCarthy, playing a few shows in a small town in the South of Germany called Eichstetten, opening for metal legend Geoff Tate.

After spending a week with Geoff and his team, I headed back to Cork and returned to normal life.

A few days went by, and still on a high from an amazing week performing, seen a phone call come in from an American number, which unbeknownst to me was Geoffs wife Susan.

Literally on the spot I was offered an opening slot for Geoff touring around Europe, spanning across 15 countries and just like that, I was thrown into life on the road as a touring singer-songwriter.

Fresh from leaving my job working in a hospital in Cork, I was now playing six shows a week, living on a tour bus and opening up for a nine piece metal band with just my acoustic guitar and voice.

With absolutely no safety net, night after night I learned how to win over a big room, how to connect with an audience and how to hold my own.

That first tour changed absolutely everything!

Since then, I’ve toured 42 states across America and played all over Europe, completely independently.

I’ve managed to play the same rooms as icons before me such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, David Bowie and Frank Sinatra and have been lucky enough to grace iconic stages such as The House of Blues in New Orleans, The Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix and The Virgin Theatre in Las Vegas, following in the footsteps of artists I grew up listening to.

Every step of my journey has been self driven with no label, management, or big corporate companies, fuelled purely on my love for performing my music to live audiences and connecting with people.

Still without a team, I roam a lone soldier and do everything independently.

Now at the age of 22, I’m prepping for the biggest challenge yet and undoubtedly the biggest step of my life and career, recording my debut album.

I’ve built a real connection in the U.S. and now have a chance to create this album in the place where most of my musical influences have made theirs, The Music City - Nashville, Tennessee.

This is more than just creating an album, it’s telling the story I’ve captured while on the road, featuring a range of songs with mentions of certain places in Ireland, America and in general, just a tale of my life as a young, but travelled singer-songwriter.

If you’ve ever come to a show, supported me or just kept track of my journey, this album is for you just as much as it is for me. This is the next chapter, and I’d love your help to make it happen.