Singer-songwriter Jim Sharkey is an Irish and Americana folk musician. Jim grew up in County Roscommon, Ireland, and came to the US in 1982 when he joined the US Navy in London, England. He spent five years as a photographer on the USS Dixon in San Diego, California, and twenty years working in television and video production in California, North Carolina, and Maine and received numerous awards for his work including 3 Regional Emmy nominations. He taught children with special needs in Westbrook, Maine; Roanoke, Virginia; The Arts Based School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Lexington, North Carolina, before moving to Portland in 2022. Jim's original songs blend Celtic traditional ballad influences with contemporary issues that are often set in the area he resides. His fourth CD "A Lovely Day" was released in December 2019.