Blue Lights actor stars in Newtownabbey singer's new music video
Blue Lights star Martin McCann features in the music video for a new song penned by a Carnmoney musician who lost his wife to cancer in 2022.
Stephen Conley, who is from the Beverley area, lost his wife Sharon in late 2022 following a brave battle with cancer.
Sharon, who had successfully been treated for triple negative breast cancer, learned the terrible news that cancer had returned to her liver, lymph nodes and stomach.
In memory of his late wife, Stephen has penned a new track ‘Have a shot on me, Babe.’
The recently released song is already attracting a lot of attention, with its video featuring Belfast actor Martin McCann, star of the hit BBC police drama Blue Lights, helping to raise the track’s profile.
Speaking to the Newtownabbey Times on May 29, Stephen explained: “It typically never takes me more than an hour to start and finish a song. ‘Have a shot on me, Babe’ was no different. The same as all of the tracks on the EP. I feel like I hit a wall every now and again, but when I get past that, the songs just flow out of me.
"I recorded the four tracks over Halloween last year. I record with the great Neal Calderwood from Manor Park Studios in Moneyglass. Neal is my go to guy for production. He is such a talent and has worked with the best.
"The inspiration behind the single is my late wife, Sharon. She passed from cancer in late 2022. It took the guts of a year before I started writing again, but once I stared it has came so naturally to me.”
Commenting on the feedback he has received, the former Edmund Rice College student stated: “The EP and the video have been released for around a week now. The views on YouTube have been great for such a short space of time. The record itself has gone down very well. It’s great to see so many shares and articles coming out about it now.
"When I decided that I wanted to shoot a video for one of the songs, I got in touch with a friend Nuala Donnelly, who works in theatre. It was a couple of months after season one of Blue Lights came out. There was a connection there from years back with Martin and my wife.
"I reached out with an idea for a video and he got back. Over a few months we met and planned what we would do and it finally all came together.
"It’s fantastic and such an honour to have Martin in the video. I truly believe that he is one of the greatest talents to ever come out of this place.”
Stephen and Sharon had two children Grace and Cadáin. Cadáin also makes an appearance in the video for ‘Have a shot on me, Babe.’
Stephen added: “I also had my Son, Cadáin in the video. He’s perfect for little cameo slots in most of my videos. He loves the camera!
"He loves the arts already, at just five years old, a primary one kid at St Bernard’s Primary School in Glengormley. He’s making his mummy proud every day.”