Anthony Kearns of The Irish Tenors to Perform at President Ronald Reagan's Centennial Celebration in New Orleans on June 16, 2011

Conference for 2,000 attendees will take place on June 16-18

NEW ORLEANS, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tenor Anthony Kearns, founding member of the popular singing group, The Irish Tenors, will be performing at The Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration (Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration) on Thurs. June 16th in New Orleans, it was announced.

"Anthony Kearns' voice is second to none and his performance will be a perfect fit for such a monumental occasion," said Charlie Davis, organizer of the Republican Leadership Conference, noting that President Reagan had deep Irish roots and appreciation for the Irish people. Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, said during a trip to Ireland in 1984, "There are few people on Earth whose hearts burn more with the flame of freedom than the Irish."

"I'm looking forward to returning to New Orleans to perform at this celebratory occasion of a great U.S. President of Irish heritage," said Kearns, who performed during the late President Reagan's funeral in 2004. Kearns, who is arriving from Dublin, performed in New Orleans with The Irish Tenors in 2004, and again more recently as part of his solo tour.

Kearns will dedicate the classic Irish ballad, "Danny Boy," to Reagan's memory on the opening day of the Conference, among other selections.  "I'm very pleased that one of the finest tenors in the world, Anthony Kearns, will be honoring my father by singing the song he loved the most," said Michael Reagan, the eldest son of Pres. Reagan.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who will be headlining the event, lauded Anthony Kearns' voice. "I'm so pleased that Anthony will lend his beautiful tenor voice to our celebration of Pres. Ronald Reagan. When he sang 'Danny Boy' and 'The Lord's Prayer' on my show, he had one of the most positive responses of any guest I've had to date," he said.

Mr. Kearns, who has performed in the world's most prestigious venues, also performed at the 2010 Liberty Medal Ceremony, hosted by former President Bill Clinton in honor of former Prime Minister Tony Blair last September. His flourishing international solo career also includes major television appearances, concert tours, and some of the world's greatest orchestras.  

Most recently, Kearns performed at the Lismore Opera Festival, June 4 and 5, where he played the lead tenor role of "Don Ottavio" in the opera Don Giovanni by Mozart. In May, he headlined a major charity fundraiser in the Washington, D.C.  area to benefit U.S. military families.  This past March, he performed at the William J. Clinton Presidential library at a benefit for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute.  

Later this summer, Kearns will star in the operetta Die Fledermaus with the Emerald City Opera in Colorado. He also will in concert with tenor Rodrick Dixon and soprano Alfreda Burke for "Hallelujah Broadway," which features songs based on their PBS special.  Kearns has already received accolades for his performance in the musical extravaganza, especially for his solo of "Bring Him Home."  (www.anthonykearnsmusic.com)

SOURCE Kirsten Fedewa (on behalf of Anthony Kearns)