INTERVIEW
with DANIEL O’DONNELL
UK TOUR OCT 2020
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Thursday 1st October 2020
Tickets on sale Friday 28th Feb at 9am
Loveable, Irish folk singer & TV personality with over 20 UK Top 40 albums and sales of 10 million records to date, hops over from Ireland this Autumn to delight fans with a Uk Tour!
with DANIEL O’DONNELL
UK TOUR OCT 2020
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Thursday 1st October 2020
Tickets on sale Friday 28th Feb at 9am
Loveable, Irish folk singer & TV personality with over 20 UK Top 40 albums and sales of 10 million records to date, hops over from Ireland this Autumn to delight fans with a Uk Tour!
The loveable and ever popular Irish singer, Daniel O'Donnell chats to Southend Theatre Scene's Andrew Walters just before the crazy Corona Virus came to the fore. We are very much hoping that Daniel will still be able to visit Southend's Cliffs Pavilion this October; in the meantime, here's what he had to say to Andrew...
Andrew : A little personal memory to start our interview today Daniel, a number of years ago I was lucky enough to visit a friend in Donegal for a holiday. One day we went past your own hotel on the bus, so I can actually visualise where you live. I believe you also used to hold an Annual Tea Party for your fans there?
Daniel: Oh well, my goodness! Well I actually only live a mile from that hotel. We had open days for many years at my house. The last one was in around 2000, but we had to stop doing them because they grew too big. The purpose of them was so that I could meet all the people that came, but that eventually became impossible to get round to speak to everyone so we had to stop doing them in the end.
Andrew: You obviously truly love Donegal, and being at home, don’t you?
Daniel: Oh yes, I’m very lucky in that I love doing what I do, and then I get to spend my down time here at home in Donegal.
Andrew: With that in mind, how do you feel about being on tour, and travelling so extensively for much of the year?
Daniel: Oh I don’t mind it really. You get used to it, and it’s part of what you do. I love the shows and at the end of every journey there’s a show. I enjoy that immensely. In recent times, I’m taking a bit more time off, so there’s a bit more balance between working away, and my down time at home, but I’ve always enjoyed the concerts.
Andrew: You have an incredibly ENORMOUS fanbase. How did it get so huge?
Daniel: Yes, they are very loyal. I’m very lucky. The fans are wonderful! I think it was just word of mouth, and more and more people have come to my concerts. They enjoy the music, and I love singing for them.
Andrew: Your live shows are a great balance of music and chat between songs. How important is talking to your audiences to you?
Daniel: Oh I do enjoy the interaction with an audience. I really enjoy meeting people so it’s fantastic to be able to connect with them.
Andrew: Does the Irish “gift of the gab” come in handy?
Daniel: Well it certainly doesn’t do any harm, let's say that!
Andrew Do you find that the response of your audiences changes depending on where you are visiting ?
Daniel: Well I suppose, from my point of view, people buy tickets for the concerts so they really want to be there, so there’s that feeling of always being made very welcome. But, with audiences, you can be in the same hall one night after the other, and each audience can be completely different, so it’s not a geographical thing. It’s a 'night to night' thing.
Andrew: Are you looking forward to visiting Southend on Sea in our little pocket corner of the South East?
Daniel: Oh yes! We were there last October. There’s always a great atmosphere at the Cliffs Pavilion. We’ve been there lots of times, especially in the early days. I live by the sea, so it’s always lovely to visit places by the sea.
Daniel: Oh well, my goodness! Well I actually only live a mile from that hotel. We had open days for many years at my house. The last one was in around 2000, but we had to stop doing them because they grew too big. The purpose of them was so that I could meet all the people that came, but that eventually became impossible to get round to speak to everyone so we had to stop doing them in the end.
Andrew: You obviously truly love Donegal, and being at home, don’t you?
Daniel: Oh yes, I’m very lucky in that I love doing what I do, and then I get to spend my down time here at home in Donegal.
Andrew: With that in mind, how do you feel about being on tour, and travelling so extensively for much of the year?
Daniel: Oh I don’t mind it really. You get used to it, and it’s part of what you do. I love the shows and at the end of every journey there’s a show. I enjoy that immensely. In recent times, I’m taking a bit more time off, so there’s a bit more balance between working away, and my down time at home, but I’ve always enjoyed the concerts.
Andrew: You have an incredibly ENORMOUS fanbase. How did it get so huge?
Daniel: Yes, they are very loyal. I’m very lucky. The fans are wonderful! I think it was just word of mouth, and more and more people have come to my concerts. They enjoy the music, and I love singing for them.
Andrew: Your live shows are a great balance of music and chat between songs. How important is talking to your audiences to you?
Daniel: Oh I do enjoy the interaction with an audience. I really enjoy meeting people so it’s fantastic to be able to connect with them.
Andrew: Does the Irish “gift of the gab” come in handy?
Daniel: Well it certainly doesn’t do any harm, let's say that!
Andrew Do you find that the response of your audiences changes depending on where you are visiting ?
Daniel: Well I suppose, from my point of view, people buy tickets for the concerts so they really want to be there, so there’s that feeling of always being made very welcome. But, with audiences, you can be in the same hall one night after the other, and each audience can be completely different, so it’s not a geographical thing. It’s a 'night to night' thing.
Andrew: Are you looking forward to visiting Southend on Sea in our little pocket corner of the South East?
Daniel: Oh yes! We were there last October. There’s always a great atmosphere at the Cliffs Pavilion. We’ve been there lots of times, especially in the early days. I live by the sea, so it’s always lovely to visit places by the sea.
Andrew: I’d like to talk to you al little about your musical style. Were there any particular influences?
Daniel: Well I have always loved country music down through the years, and I love the Irish ballads too, so I’ve ended up singing what I love. I’ve always enjoyed Charley Pride, the American country singer, and I’ve always loved Loretta Lynn's, the Coalminer’s Daughter. She’d be my favourite country singer. I also love Cliff Richard - always have. So that’s the kind of music that appeals to me. It’s timeless and there’s something for everyone there. I also love the 50’s and 60’s. That music is absolutely fantastic.
Andrew: Do you have any difficulties choosing your programme for each tour and does it vary at all?
Daniel: Ah not at all, and I try and fit in requests each night that may not have been planned, so the show will vary a little from night to night.
Andrew : You have such a smooth sounding voice. Did you ever have singing lessons when you were younger?
Daniel: I didn’t when I was younger, but in latter years I had a wee bit of trouble with my voice, so I had some tuition then, but more a bit of help to get over voice strain, but it wasn’t really training as such.
Andrew : Do you think you’re a tenor or a baritone?
Daniel: Oooooh you know, somewhere between a fiver and a tenner! Haha!
Andrew: Do you have any places on your tour that you are particularly looking forward to visiting ?
Daniel: I enjoy everywhere I go that there’s a show. I get so much pleasure from meeting my audiences. It’s almost impossible to describe, I just get so much enjoyment from what I do.
Andrew: How much time do you spend meeting your fans after each concert?
Daniel: Well of course it depends on how many people are waiting around afterwards, but usually an hour, to an hour and a half, or even two hours sometimes. To meet people is a great privilege too. I always say, if you go somewhere and meet nobody, you might as well not have gone!
Andrew: Does your lovely wife Majella accompany you on tour?
Daniel: Only very seldom really. You’re just travelling from one place to another and living out of a suitcase, so there’s not really much else going on. It’s all about the show really.
Andrew: Do you have any ambitions left that you’d like to fulfil? I believe you’d like to appear on Coronation Street?
Daniel: Oh yes! Well that would be great, but that’s been a long time ambition, and I’m getting a wee bit old now for that I think? But I think my main ambition now is to get a balance between touring , and life at home. I’m 58 now, so I’m trying to get more of an even balance now.
Andrew: Before we conclude, let’s talk about Strictly! Did you love appearing on such a huge and popular programme?
Daniel: I LOVED it, and I was terrified at the same time. To stand out there and be expected to dance every time was just so hard!!
Kristina (Rihanoff, Daniel's professional dance partner) was terrific. Such a fantastic dancer. It was an experience I will always treasure.
Andrew: Finally, do you have a favourite song?
Daniel: I love Cliff’s Miss You Nights. That’s my favourite song of all time. I don’t generally sing it myself, apart from when we actually did a tribute to Cliff in one of the shows, and I absolutely love it!
Andrew: It’s been a huge pleasure talking to you today! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with Southend Theatre Scene! See you in October at the Cliffs!
Daniel: I LOVED it, and I was terrified at the same time. To stand out there and be expected to dance every time was just so hard!!
Kristina (Rihanoff, Daniel's professional dance partner) was terrific. Such a fantastic dancer. It was an experience I will always treasure.
Andrew: Finally, do you have a favourite song?
Daniel: I love Cliff’s Miss You Nights. That’s my favourite song of all time. I don’t generally sing it myself, apart from when we actually did a tribute to Cliff in one of the shows, and I absolutely love it!
Andrew: It’s been a huge pleasure talking to you today! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with Southend Theatre Scene! See you in October at the Cliffs!