What exactly is it about singing sensation Daniel O’Donnell that makes people feel so passionately about him? Daniel’s fans—and there are millions of them, all over the world—would absolutely live and die for him. They flock to his concerts in record numbers, and make his album and video sales reach the same lofty heights as pop icons Madonna and New Kids on the Block.
However, Daniel’s detractors-and there seem to be millions of those, too—-can’t stand the sight of the guy. They say he’s a too-good-to-be-true phony who doesn’t have an ounce of musical talent in his entire body.
They’ve also made Donegal’s favorite country star the butt of countless jokes which have made their way all around Ireland and the United Kingdom, where he enjoys household-name status.
Daniel is now looking to duplicate that success in the United States, where he is currently in the midst of a concert tour that will take him from coast to coast. He recently paid a visit to Manhattan to hype the tour and greet a legion of transplanted Donegal natives, who hosted a reception for him in a mid-town hotel.
“The fans are great and I wouldn’t be anywhere without them,” said Daniel upon arrival at the gathering. Decked out in a short black leather jacket and perfectly pressed trousers, with not a single hair out of place, Daniel was clearly thrilled with the heaps of adulation being bestowed upon him by his admirers.
While he’s hoping that the American public will take to him the way he’s been received in Britain and Ireland, he says he’s not going to be crushed if the level of success he achieves here isn’t on a par with his superstar status at home.
“I’d be thrilled and delighted to do well in America, but if it doesn’t happen I won’t be disappointed, because I’ve done so much in the past two years,” he said.
“When I started out I never really envisaged doing as much as I’m doing. I didn’t set my sights on success in Britain, it’s just something that happened without me knowing.”
Daniel briefly toured the States last year, and made a stop at the Town Hall in Manhattan. As readers of our sister publication, Irish Voice newspaper, are probably aware, Daniel’s show received a scathing review at the hands of senior editor Patrick Farrelly. The review was the talk of the town for weeks on end, and prompted Daniel’s supporters to rise up and threaten Farrelly with all kinds of dastardly deeds.
What did Daniel make of the brouhaha?
“If I met Patrick now I couldn’t feel bad towards him. My reaction was that it was just another person who didn’t like what I was doing. Some people enjoy what you do, and others don’t.”
However, the abundance of criticism that seems to follow Daniel everywhere he goes can, on occasion, sting. “It depends on how you feel when you read it,” he says.
“Sometimes if you’re not feeling good, if you’re tired or have something on your mind, then it bothers you more.”
Daniel’s most recent album, “The Last Waltz,” contains nothing but country tunes.
This move represents a foray into unknown territory, as all of his other recordings are comprised of a mixture of country and traditional Irish ballads. O’Donnell recorded the album in Nashville with noted producer Allen Reynolds, who has previously worked with Crystal Gayle, the sister of Daniel’s all-time country music idol Loretta Lynn.
“I met Allen Reynolds and we became friendly,” Daniel says. “I think the good feeling is evident on the album.”
Daniel’s elder sister, Margo, a country star in her own right, was an early influence on the career path that he eventually chose to take. He started out as a backup singer in her band in 1981, and then decided to branch out on his own after two years. “It felt good being out there on my own,” he says. “It was what I wanted.” The rest, as they say, is history. Million-selling albums, sold-out tours, thousands upon thousands of swooning fans…the luck of the Irish is certainly proving to be a useful commodity for Daniel.
And to all the nay-sayers who maintain that he is nothing but an irrelevant piece of fluff… well, Daniel’s fans are prepared to defend him to the death, and the man himself is singing all the way to the bank.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the June 1991 issue of Irish America. ♦
Leave a Reply