A GLIMPSE at the back of the tour T-shirt which has been printed for the Johnny Cash Roadshow for 2017 gives an indication of how much in demand the show has become.

“It’s got most of our dates on it,” said Clive Owens, “there are 138 shows on there.”

One of the those dates is for Clitheroe on Saturday night when Clive - the show’s very own Man in Black, a live band and Amanda Stone as June Carter Cash - will be exploring the singer’s extensive back catalogue.

“I’d say that we are a celebration of Johnny Cash rather than a tribute act,” said Clive.

“We do the songs as near to the original as we can but our version is a more energetic, upbeat occasion. Throughout the show I try to pack it with as many songs as possible without making it like a West End show, I try to give people more of a concert.”

Given that many of Johnny Cash’s songs are relatively short this means it’s a concert packed with songs.

“Over the course of an evening we will do to close to 40 songs,” said Clive.

Johnny Cash may have died in 2003 but his music remains as popular as ever.

“I don’t think that Johnny Cash’s popularity will ever disappear,” said Clive. “There is a real soul in his music and just so many songs. He was recording music for nearly 50 years so there are a lot of songs out there.

“Johnny Cash always said couldn’t be pigeonholed. I suppose he fits into the country music genre the most but he’s also got folk, gospel and rock and roll in there and the later recordings that he did brought him over to a younger audience as they had an edge to them.”

Classics including I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire and A Boy Named Sue right up to the American Recordings he did with producer Rick Rubin including the cover version of Hurt recorded shortly before his death all feature in the show.

Clive’s performance has delighted Johnny Cash’s own granddaughter Caitlin and Cash fans, known for their devotion, have been full of praise for the show. He was even presented with Johnny Cash’s harmonicas by a fan who had been given to him by the great man himself.

“I did try playing them but they are so old they didn’t really have that ‘zing’ and they are so precious, I keep them in the safe now,” said Clive.

Clive has been paying tribute to Johnny Cash since 2005.

“My mum’s Irish and was into country music and growing up I listened a lot of everything but Johnny Cash was always at the forefront of it,” he said. “I’ve always loved the sound of his music, it just seemed to have more soul about it and also the songs suit my own voice.”

The Johnny Cash Roadshow, Clitheroe Grand, Saturday, June 3. Details from 01200 421599 or www.thegrandvenue.co.uk