The Paddy Smith Band- Live In New York (2018)

Irish musician Paddy Smith was a regular on stage at iconic Chicago club The House of Blues, before he succumbed to an addiction to alcohol.

The Navan native emigrated to the States in pursuit of a career as a harmonica player.

Due to his sheer talent, he was catapulted to the forefront of the music scene in Chicago, but his dependency on alcohol threatened to ruin everything he had worked so hard to achieve.

In 2008, Smith was involved in a bar brawl during an All Ireland Football Final and was imprisoned for two weeks in the notorious Cook County Jail. Shook from the experience, he returned home to Ireland and succumbed to alcoholism.

A catalyst came in the form of tragedy, when Paddy’s daughter Ciara died from Cystic Fibrosis aged just 17. The musician decided to give up alcohol and turn his life around.

Five years on, he is still sober and now helps other addicts face their demons. He is also due to return to America to perform for three top music producers as part of a New York song competition.