- Culture
- 13 Jul 20
Neeson released his stunning debut solo album, 'White Feather', in 2019 after rising to fame as the lead singer of Irish rock band The Answer.
Cormac Neeson has offered Taste and Rory Gallagher fans a gorgeous acoustic cover of the classic blues track 'Sugar Mama' via the Hot Press YouTube channel.
As the frontman of Northern Irish rock band The Answer and solo artist, Neeson has spent most of his life immersed in the Irish musical landscape and has spoken often about his respect for the iconic Gallagher.
Neeson recently released his solo album White Feather - the most personal collection of songs he’s ever put his name to.
White Feather packs just as much punch as his work with The Answer, but delivered through powerful story-telling and stirring vocals.
"Inspired by his son who was born three months premature with Down’s Syndrome, the ghosts of Nashville haunts every tune on this immensely moving LP," Edwin McFee of Hot Press said of the album.
In the special Rory Gallagher 25th Anniversary Issue of Hot Press, Neeson recently reflected on the influence which the guitar virtuoso had on his life as a role model:
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"He’s one of the central figures in my musical development. If I ever need a good shake along the way – whether I’m out on the road with The Answer, or trying to find magic out of nowhere in the studio – all I need to do is watch one of those live videos of Rory.
"It could be the Irish Tour ‘74, some of the Rockpalast stuff, or any footage of him I can find on YouTube," Neeson adds.
"It’s just so inspiring to see an Irish musician approach his performance with so much genuine passion. It’s hard to find that kind of abandon on stage now: he just closed his eyes and lost himself. I was watching footage of him playing ‘Sugar Mama’, and I don’t know how the members of his band held on – probably for dear life! That’s so refreshing to watch, and it still inspires musicians like me to get up onstage and try to capture even just a little bit of that energy."
Watch Neeson's full performance of 'Sugar Mama' below: