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The threat was made in a phone call to Daniel O’Donnell's Viking House Hotel in Kincasslagh, County Donegal. O’Donnell had to cancel a series of concerts in Northern Ireland because of death threats from loyalist paramilitaries in 1994. He also forged a close professional relationship with the Irish singer Mary Duff, who regularly tours with O'Donnell. This also led to his first appearance on Top of the Pops.ĭuring his lengthy career, O'Donnell has made friends with his childhood idols, including Cliff Richard and Loretta Lynn. O'Donnell's first chart hit single in the UK was in 1992 with "I Just Want to Dance With You" (later covered by George Strait). He was given the Irish Entertainer of the Year award in 1989, 19. Among the accolades, O'Donnell was named Donegal Person of the Year in 1989, which he still rates as the best award. He appeared on popular television shows in both countries and won various awards. Success īy the mid-1990s, O'Donnell had become a household name across Ireland and Great Britain. After a three-month recovery break, he returned to the stage, this time at the Point Theatre, Dublin. According to O'Donnell, by January 1992, he had hit rock bottom with exhaustion. Under the management of Reilly, O'Donnell started to sell concerts out in England on a regular basis. In 1985, the manager of the Ritz label, Mick Clerkin, saw him perform and introduced him to Sean Reilly, who remains his manager to this day. After the group disbanded, he formed The Grassroots. Later that year, he formed his own musical group, Country Fever. On 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. Not getting enough opportunities to perform solos with the band, in 1983 O'Donnell decided to record his own record. Margo had already forged a successful career in Ireland. In 1980, he went to Galway to pursue business studies, however, he never settled down and by Christmas he was in his sister Margo's band. As a youngster, O'Donnell performed in the local religious choir. Despite this, a career in music was also always a possibility. He has described his upbringing as mostly happy, with the exception of the death of his father after a heart attack when O'Donnell was six years old.ĭuring his school years, O'Donnell considered pursuing a career in banking. He grew up as the youngest of a Roman Catholic family, with his parents, Julia (née McGonagle born 1919 died ) and Francis O'Donnell, and siblings John (the eldest), Margaret ( Margo), Kathleen and James. O'Donnell was born in and brought up in the village of Kincasslagh, in The Rosses district in the west of County Donegal, Ireland. Affectionately known as "Wee Daniel", O'Donnell is a prominent ambassador for his home county of Donegal. He is widely considered a " cultural icon" in Ireland, and is often parodied in the media.
![mother mother](https://t2.genius.com/unsafe/300x300/https://images.genius.com/492cd7a0f69278b692ec445cc7ce7860.1000x1000x1.jpg)
Known for his close relationship with his fanbase, and his charismatic and engaging stage presence, O'Donnell's music has been described as a mix of country and Irish folk, and he has sold over ten million records to date. This record has been extended and as of 2021, O'Donnell has had an album in the Official Albums Chart each year for the last 33 years.
![mother mother](https://presspack.rte.ie/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2015/12/BL5Q7788.jpg)
In 2012, he became the first artist to have a different album in the British charts every year for 25 consecutive years. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain he has also had considerable success in Australia. Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist.