The Man In Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash is Coming to the Lexington Opera House on Thursday, April 9, 2026
LEXINGTON, KY (November 3, 2025) –– With his strikingly similar looks, baritone voice, and spot-on mannerisms, Shawn Barker brings The Man In Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash to the Lexington Opera House on Thursday, April 9, 2026. With his uncanny resemblance to the original “Man In Black”, he revitalizes the true character and spirit of Mr. Cash himself, one of America’s greatest musical icons, for a truly one-of-a-kind show. The energetic show features Barker in character throughout the entire evening, walking the audience through each era of Cash’s life and music, including hits like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk The Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Hurt” and “Ring of Fire,” complete with a full backing band.
Shawn Barker’s first Man In Black show was held in 2004 at a casino in Niagara Falls and has since performed over 1,000 shows in 12 countries, selling more than half a million tickets over the course of his career. Born and raised in a working-class suburb of St. Louis, Barker took a schoolboy love for singing in church with his family and turned it into a career. The path to his current success wasn’t a straight line from gospel choir to Johnny Cash tribute act. After serving his country in the Army, Barker returned home to Missouri, took a job as a carpenter, and spent all of his free time learning how to play the guitar. He developed strength and versatility in his voice by modeling his crooning on a cast of legends – Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, and Gene Vincent. His performances quickly turned from hobby to profession, but oddly enough, Barker’s first touring gigs were portraying Elvis, not Johnny Cash. Everything changed, however, when Barker was asked to audition for the part of Cash in a Hollywood production, as it became evident to the director and Barker himself that Johnny Cash was his true calling. From that point, there was no turning back.
Tickets will be available for purchase starting at 10 A.M. on Friday, November 7, at ticketmaster.com, lexingtonoperahouse.com, or in person at the Central Bank Center Box Office from 12-4 P.M. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Venue Contact:
Megan Garrett | MGarrett@centralbankcenter.com
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About Lexington Opera House
Located in Lexington, Kentucky, the Lexington Center Corporation (LCC) is a not-for-profit 501c3 corporate agency of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government. It was established in 1974 to manage and maintain Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, the Central Bank Center (formerly Lexington Convention Center), Triangle Park, and the Lexington Opera House. One of the nation’s most storied entertainment destinations, Central Bank Center venues collectively welcome an average of 1.3 million patrons annually.
The Lexington Opera House, built in 1886 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the premier performing arts centers in the region. Since its opening, the Opera House has played host to such famous stage performers as W.C. Fields, The Marx Brothers, Al Jolson, Julie Harris, Steve Martin, Brian Wilson, and Graham Nash. It has undergone two major renovations and remains a cultural destination in downtown Lexington.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class-owned venues and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.