The Man in Black – A Tribute to Johnny Cash

With his strikingly similar looks, baritone voice, and spot-on mannerisms, Shawn Barker has an uncanny resemblance to the original “Man In Black”. Delivering a truly one-of-a-kind show, Barker revitalises the true character and spirit of Mr. Cash himself, one of America’s greatest musical icons. The energetic performance features Barker in character throughout the entire evening, walking the audience through each era of Cash’s life and music, including hits like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk The Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Hurt” and “Ring of Fire,” complete with a full backing band.

Shawn Barker has been performing internationally as The Man In Black for over two decades and has performed thousands of shows, selling more than one million tickets over the course of his career. Born and raised in a working-class suburb of St. Louis, Barker took a schoolboy love for singing in church with his family and turned it into a career. The path to his current success wasn’t a straight line from gospel choir to Johnny Cash tribute act. After serving his country in the Army, Barker returned home to Missouri, took a job as a carpenter, and spent all of his free time learning how to play the guitar.

He developed strength and versatility in his voice by modeling his crooning on a cast of legends – Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent. His performances quickly turned from hobby to profession, but oddly enough, Barker’s first touring gigs were portraying Elvis, not Johnny Cash. Everything changed, however, when Barker was asked to audition for the part of Cash in a Hollywood production, as it became evident to the director and Barker himself that Johnny Cash was his true calling. From that point there was no turning back. The Man In Black has become the best Johnny Cash Tribute act in the world, with many productions and brands commissioning Barker and his baritone voice for radio, TV, and voiceover productions, to include Barker being featured in a national ad campaign for Coca-Cola.