Grammy-nominated musician to play Kilkenny theatre this October

Legendary folk singer-songwriter and Grammy nominee Mary Gauthier will play Kilkenny’s Watergate Theatre on Thursday, October 23 as part of her upcoming Irish tour. 

With special guest Jaimee Harris, Mary will showcase highlights from her 30-year career and perform work from her most recent album ‘Dark Enough to See the Stars’. 

Her first recording of all original songs in over eight years and her eleventh album to date, it follows her 2018 release ‘Rifles & Rosary Beads’, a collaborative work with wounded Iraq war veterans. It garnered a 2019 Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album plus a nomination for Album of the Year by the Americana Music Association & was named Album of the Year 2019 at International Folk Awards.

Called “one of the best songwriters of her generation” by the Associated Press, Mary came from humble beginnings, having been adopted when she was a year old in Louisiana. Addictions to alcohol and drugs followed her through her younger years. In 1990, Gauthier opened Dixie Kitchen, a Cajun restaurant in Boston. On opening night, she was arrested for drunk driving which marked the beginning of her long-term sobriety. After getting clean, Mary used her past issues with adoption trauma and alcohol and drug addiction to fuel her songwriting.

Mary’s songs have been recorded by dozens of artists, including Jimmy Buffett, Dolly Parton, Boy George, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Bettye Lavette, Mike Farris, Kathy Mattea, Candi Staton and been featured extensively in film and television, including TV shows Yellowstone and Nashville.

Mary’s first book, ‘Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting’ was published in 2021. Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile has said, “Mary’s songwriting speaks to the tender aspects of our humanness. We need her voice in times like these more than we ever have.”

Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.watergatetheatre.com/whats-on/events/mary-gauthier.