Ronan Keating selects Cape Town’s Singing Doctor as opening act

Dr Marc Hendricks, who works to keep both his dreams of singing and practising medicine alive, has been selected by Keating as the opening act for his private one-night-only performance in support of children fighting cancer.

Earlier this month Keating announced the launch of The Ronan Keating Foundation in South Africa which is managed through the Citadel Philanthropy Fund. The foundation’s inaugural charity event, A Night with Ronan Keating presented by Citadel, will see Keating travel to South Africa for an exclusive performance and charitable auction with the proceeds being donated to the upgrade of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Oncology Unit where Hendricks works as a senior specialist in paediatric oncology.

Hendricks began making waves last year when he launched his debut solo album, Upright Citizen, with the purpose of using his passion for music to raise funds for the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.

With music and the fight against cancer being very personal for both Keating and Hendricks, with Keating losing his mother to the disease and Hendricks working to better the health of children battling cancer, Hendricks commented, “What an enormous privilege to be asked to open for Ronan Keating for this very worthy cause. This is a double highlight of my musical and medical career rolled into one!”

Irish popstar Keating also commented “I’m looking forward to having Dr Marc Hendricks share the stage with me in South Africa for this special occasion. He does remarkable work at Red Cross Children’s Hospital Oncology Unit and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on stage as well. With the Oncology Unit at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital being the beneficiary of this event, they’ll once again benefit from his talent, work, and dedication”.

A Night with Ronan Keating presented by Citadel will also see Keating’s good friend and golfing legend, Gary Player, join the festivities. Player has raised more than $64 million for charity to date and aims to raise $100 million by the year 2025 for underprivileged communities around the world.
Keating and Player will partner to host a golf tournament with a unique team format that will see Team Keating versus Team Player, as part of Keating’s charity event in Cape Town.