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Daniel O'Donnell

O'Donnell live
Background information
Birth name Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell
Also known as 'Wee Daniel'[1]
Born December 12, 1961 (1961-12-12) (age 48)
Kincasslagh, County Donegal, Ireland
Genres Country, Easy listening
Occupations Singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1980–present
Associated acts Margo, Mary Duff
Website Official website

Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, Hon. M.B.E. (born December 12, 1961 in Kincasslagh, County Donegal)[2], is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist.[3] O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US.[4] He is known for his close relationship with his fanbase, and his charismatic[5] and engaging stage presence.[6] His music has been described as a mix of country and Irish folk, and he has sold over 10 million records to date.[7][8]

Contents

Background

Daniel was brought up in the village of Kincasslagh, in the Rosses region of County Donegal, Ireland. He grew up as the youngest of a staunch Roman Catholic family, with his parents Julia (née McGonagle born 1919)[9] and Francis O'Donnell and his siblings: John (the eldest), Margaret (Margo), Kathleen, and James. He has described his upbringing as mostly happy, with the exception of the death of his father after a heart attack when Daniel was just six. Daniel credits this occurrence as the reason why he holds his mother in such high esteem today.

During his schooling years, Daniel considered pursuing a career in the bank. Despite this, a career in music was also always a possibility. As a youngster Daniel performed in the local religious choir.In 1980 he went to Galway to study Business Studies, however, he never settled down and by Christmas he was in his sister Margo's band. Margo had already forged a very successful career in Ireland.

Musical career

Rise to fame

Not getting enough opportunities to perform solos with the band, in 1983 Daniel decided to record his own record. On the 9 February 1983 he recorded his first single, Johnny McCauley's "My Donegal Shore", with £1,200 of his own money, selling all the copies himself. Later that year, he formed his own musical group, Country Fever. After the group disbanded, he formed The Grassroots. In 1985, the manager of the Ritz label, Mick Clerkin, saw him perform, and introduced him to Sean Reilly, who remains as his manager to this day.

Under the management of Reilly, Daniel started to sell concerts out in England on a regular basis. According to Daniel himself, by January, 1992, he had hit rock bottom with exhaustion. After a three month recovery break, he returned to the stage, this time at the Point Theatre, Dublin.[10]

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Success

By the mid-1990s, Daniel O'Donnell had become a household-name, not only in his native Donegal, but in the rest of Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom also. He appeared on the biggest television shows on both sides of the Irish Sea, and won countless awards. Among the accolades, Daniel was named Donegal Person of the Year in 1989, which he still rates as the best award. He was given the Irish Entertainer of the Year award in 1989, 1992 and 1996. Daniel's first chart hit single in the UK was in 1992 with "I Just Want to Dance With You" (later covered by George Strait). This also led to his first ever appearance on Top of the Pops.

During his lengthy career, Daniel has made friends with his childhood idols, including Cliff Richard and Loretta Lynn. He also forged a close professional relationship with the Irish songstress Mary Duff, who regularly tours with Daniel.

2000–present

In 2002, he was awarded an Honorary (due to his Irish citizenship) MBE for his services to the music industry. He has had twenty UK Top 40 albums as well as fifteen Top 40 singles and has sold 10 millions to date. Daniel garnered considerable success in North America, when he starred in seven concert specials on public television stations (PBS) in the US. He has charted 18 albums in the Top 20 of the US Billboard's World Music Album Chart and also has had several entries in the Independent Albums Chart too. [11]

O'Donnell has his own birthday card, that when opened plays him singing 'happy birthday'.

Personal life

Daniel lives a very public life and is constantly being reported about in the media. He is frequently parodied in the Irish radio show Gift Grub by comedian Mario Rosenstock.

Family

For many years, Daniel was well-known as a bachelor. However, on 4 November 2002, he married 41-year-old divorcee Majella McLennan, whom he had met while on holiday in Tenerife three years previously. This union caused great controversy throughout Ireland, although McLennan's previous marriage, by which she has two children, had been annulled by the Catholic Church. The couple now live together in Meenbanad, County Donegal and also spend time at their second home in Tenerife.[12]

Persona

Daniel is almost more famous for his gentle, soft-spoken personality and clean cut image, than for his musical endeavours. Over the years he has attracted non-stop media attention and there has been countless cultural references to the performer. He was parodied as celebrity singer Eoin McLove in the Father Ted episode "Night of the Nearly Dead", as well as an episode of BBC sketch-show Chewin' the Fat, as an Irish singer named Donald O'Daniel. Daniel is frequently satirised in Irish comedy because of a common supposition that his target audiences consists mainly of rural ladies of a certain older age. The comedy show Bull Island and the radio sketch segment "Gift Grub" portrayed him in sketches frequently singing about his "mammy".[13]

Fans

Daniel is known for his close relationship with his wide fan base and has a meet-and-greet session after almost every concert. The extent of his devotion to his loyal fans, went as far as him having a huge tea party outside his Donegal home every year.[1]

Discography

Albums

O'Donnell has produced and recorded over 30 albums included in the following list:

  • The Boy From Donegal (1984)
  • Two Sides Of (1985)
  • I Need You (1986)
  • Don't Forget To Remember (1987)
  • From The Heart (1988)
  • Thoughts Of Home (1989)
  • The Last Waltz (1990)
  • Favourites (1990)
  • The Very Best Of Daniel O'Donnell (1991) #34 UK
  • Follow Your Dream (1992) #17 UK
  • A Date With Daniel Live (1993) #21 UK
  • Especially For You (1994) #14 UK
  • Christmas With Daniel (1994) #34 UK
  • The Classic Collection (1995) #34 UK
  • Timeless: Daniel O'Donnell and Mary Duff (with Mary Duff – 1996) #13 UK
  • Irish Collection (1996) #35 UK
  • Songs Of Inspiration (1996) #11 UK
  • I Believe (1997) #11 UK
  • Love Songs (1998) #9 UK
  • Greatest Hits (1999) #10 UK
  • Faith and Inspiration (2000) #4 UK
  • Heartbreakers (2000)
  • Live, Laugh, Love (2001) #27 UK
  • Yesterdays Memories (2002) #18 UK
  • The Irish Album (2002)
  • The Daniel O'Donnell Show (2002)
  • Dreaming (2002)
  • Songs of Faith (2003)
  • Daniel In Blue Jeans (2003) #3 UK
  • At The End Of The Day (2003) #11 UK
  • The Jukebox Years (2004) #3 UK
  • Welcome To My World (2004) #6 UK
  • Teenage Dreams (2005) #10 UK
  • The Rock' N' Roll Show (2006)
  • From Daniel With Love (2006) #5 UK
  • Until the Next Time (2006)
  • Together Again (with Mary Duff) (2007) #6 UK
  • Country Boy (2008) #6 UK
  • Peace in the Valley (2009) #8 UK

Singles

  • "I Just Wanna Dance" (1992) #20 UK
  • "The Three Bells" (1993) #71 UK
  • "The Love In Your Eyes" (1993) #47 UK
  • "Whatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love" (1993) #21 UK
  • "Singing The Blues" (1994) #23 UK
  • "The Gift" (1994) #46 UK
  • "Secret Love" (with Mary Duff – 1995) #28 UK
  • "Timeless" (with Mary Duff – 1996) #32 UK
  • "Footsteps" (1996) #25 UK
  • "The Love Songs" (1997) #27 UK
  • "Give A Little Love" (1998) #7 UK
  • "The Magic Is There" (1998) #16 UK
  • "The Way Dreams Are" (1999) #18 UK
  • "Uno Mas" (1999) #25 UK
  • "A Christmas Kiss" (1999) #20 UK
  • "Light a Candle" (2000) #23 UK
  • "Morning Has Broken" (2000) #32 UK
  • "You Raise Me Up" (2003) #22 UK
  • "Crush On You" (2006) #21 UK
  • "Mother's Birthday Song" (2008 – Ireland-only)

External links

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.dun-na-ngall.com/daniel.html
  2. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Odonnell-Mary-Duff/dp/B0010VNFG4
  3. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1734764.stm
  4. ^ http://www.getmein.com/world-music/Daniel-O-Donnell-tickets.html
  5. ^ http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2001/07/27/story6044.asp
  6. ^ http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2001/07/27/story6044.asp
  7. ^ http://www.worldticketshop.com/concerts/daniel_odonnell_tickets
  8. ^ http://www.myspace.com/danielodonnellmusic
  9. ^ Daniel admitted in a TV3 interview, Up Close and Personal with Daniel O'Donnell, screened on Friday 13th! March 2009 that Mammy would be 90 later that year.
  10. ^ Daniel O'Donnell mp3s, Daniel O'Donnell music downloads, Daniel O'Donnell songs from eMusic.com
  11. ^ BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | O'Donnell made honorary MBE
  12. ^ BBC NEWS | N Ireland | Daniel O'Donnell ties the knot
  13. ^ http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=246481&command=displayContent&sourceNode=188982&contentPK=20528872&folderPk=92239&pNodeId=190018







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