When Alec Black began giving himself guitar lessons in his early teens little did he think that 60 years later he is going to be honoured with not one but two special tribute anniversary events in recognition of an outstanding career as a Country and Irish music entertainer. There is a sold out show next Wednesday night in the Balor Arts Centre. But with so many folk disappointed not to have a ticket for that celebration his daughter Sinead has pulled out all the stops to organise a second 60th show which will take place in the Devlin Hall on Sunday 17th May (7-9pm). It is going to be an old style entertainment show with Ceili music and social dancing. There will be loads of musicians again sharing the stage with Alec. It was the late Pat Dunnion who gave Alec Black his first gig in the Oldtown Hideout Bar in 1966. He got paid but it wasn’t in cash instead it was cigarettes by way of a pack of 150 Carrolls No.1! Alec was a smoker so that was fine at the time. But, the night that he smoked two Hamlet cigars during a card game at the Butt Hall brought that all to an end. “I smoked the two Hamlet cigars but by the end of the night I had a very sore head. I said if this goes away I won’t smoke again and that’s what happened. I was coming up to 30 years old at the time”. In the early entertainment days he was a one-man band with his guitar. He was then joined by John Sweeney of Ballymaleel in a two-piece. And there was another two-piece with his brother Billy on the keyboards for ten years. Then came an approach from the legendary Willie Ponsonby when he was forming a new band.
