SINGER and guitarist ‘Billy Mack’ has certainly put his experience of lockdown to good use, after raising over £1,200 for mental health
charity Pieta House in honour of his late daughter. The well known entertainer from Church Street, Roslea, had locals clapping over the weekend as he carried out live music performances from just outside his home.
Speaking to the Herald, the 62-year-old said, “We have now a total of over £1,200 raised for Pieta House, I would just like to thank everyone that has put their hands into pockets to raise this amount, you are all great. “My daughter tragically passed away due to suicide which makes this cause very close to my heart. My other children kept saying to me – Daddy do it for Pieta House, so it was a no brainier straightaway to
raise money for this charity through my music. It’s just great to have received such support.”
Speaking on the overwhelming response he has received, Billy said, “It all started off when neighbours and other locals were at me to go out and play for them as I could no longer perform in pubs and clubs with no work available due to Covid. “At first I was apprehensive and then I just decided to take the bull by the horns and I did a few videos of me playing and singing in the house for Facebook and then I eventually decided to upload live videos of me doing it from outside the house.”
He continued; “Up until I started to raise money, I hadn’t played music for seven weeks which was completely brand new to me. My dates
stopped the minute Corona hit Ireland. “I was getting rusty and I couldn’t remember the keys of the songs as I was singing and in parts found myself even forgetting the words.
“I’m 62 years of age and I do not remember anything like this ever happening before. I was born into music, my mother and father were in travelling show bands. Generation wise they spread their love for music in a completely different way, years ago the would have never dreamt of singing in a pub, never mind on Facebook.”
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