Helensburgh performer and country singer Darren Coggan hopes to instil peace, compassion and understanding to people around the world through the songs of Cat Stevens.
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But it wasn’t an intentional path for him.
Coggan only began researching the musical icon (now known as Yusuf Islam) after some of his own fans commented on the likeness his voice had to Stevens.
“The deeper I dug the more fascinated I became with his journey of self discovery,” Coggan said.
“I didn’t know what happened to him, he sort of disappeared and why, why did that happen.”
His show Peace Train: A Tribute to Cat Stevens will for the first time travel overseas to tour the UK later this year after another extensive lap around Australia and New Zealand.
It coincides with the 50th anniversary of Steven’s debut album Matthew and Son.
“The underlying theme of our show is we all have the ability to make changes in our life, and I think Cat Stevens is a great example of that,” Coggan said.
“The message of peace has never been more relevant in our world … his music is all about asking the bigger questions of ourselves and living together.
“At the height of his career he was incredibly discontent with, I guess, the excesses of fame and fortune and he did something about it, he found fulfillment and walked away from music industry.”
Coggan has been performing the show to thousands in Australia since its inception 2010, including a string of shows at the Sydney Opera House and every other major capital city venue in the country.
“There’s no light at the end of the tunnel,” he joked.
“It’s already surpassed my wildest expectations. So it’s a great ride and I’m just hanging on, enjoying every minute.”
The father of two teenagers said his family loves getting involved in the show either by helping out with selling merchandise or assisting with more technical aspects of lighting.
“Where it’s possible, it’s great to be able to share these exciting experiences with them as well and try and give them a taste of a unique experience … like to be able to hang out back stage at the Sydney Opera House and see how a show is put together,” he said.
The intimate acoustic concert details the story of Cat Stevens through his timeless songs and anecdotes, told to Coggan first hand when he met the musical great in 2007.
Peace Train: A Tribute to Cat Stevens comes to Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre May 19; and Sydney International Convention Centre October 28.