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Daniel O’Donnell
October 2, 2022
Daniel O’Donnell’s remarkable career has moved on to a new level with his success as a TV presenter, just another facet to his ever-expanding list of entertainment achievements.
The Donegal based singer, who is one of the most prolific and successful recording artists in the UK charts, is the only artist in the world to score a hit in the UK album charts every year since 1988, an unprecedented and unbroken 34-year span, and in doing so, he has outshone everyone from Michael Jackson and Madonna, to U2 and the Rolling Stones.
Daniel’s latest ‘Daniel O’Donnell 60’, released in celebration of his 60th birthday, shot straight into the chart at #4, keeping good company with the likes of The Beatles, Adele and Coldplay. As with the ‘Daniel’ album before it, this recording has been produced with legendary record producer Nigel Wright, who has co-produced the recordings of many of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals, including the film versions of Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, along with many artist albums and TV music shows. With 15 tracks, the albumis available on 140g Green Vinyl, CD and digital.
Including this latest release, Daniel has now amassed 47 Top 75 albums, including 41 Top 40 albums, 29 Top 30 & 19 Top 10 albums, with 17 of the latter being this century, a feat that has not been achieved by any other recording artist, and has now sold well in excess of 15 million worldwide.
Daniel has also achieved eight number one hits in the UK music video/DVD charts over the length of his career, makes regular appearances in the Billboard World Music Chart, received an honorary MBE from Queen Elizabeth, appeared on Top of the Pops, had his life celebrated on This Is Your Life, been given the Freedom of Donegal, has been inducted into Ireland’s Music Hall of Fame, and received multiple Entertainer of the Year/Person of the Year Awards in Ireland and the UK – to mention but a few of the many accolades.
Daniel burst into superstardom in the USA & Canada back in 2002 with his first ever PBS special – The Daniel O’Donnell Show. That began a special relationship between Daniel and PBS that has now lasted some 20 years. Since that first airing, Daniel has had fifteen more specials, with ‘Daniel O’Donnell & Special Guests’ being his record breaking sixteenth, which was filmed at the Millennium Forum in Derry and which is currently still airing on many PBS channels throughout the USA.
Daniel has always had very high viewership ratings in pledge drives across the USA for public service television, and as a result of this and his many other activities in America, his popularity has grown substantially over the years and is clearly evident in sales exceeding $20 million USD.
It is Daniel’s belief that fans, throughout his time on PBS, have brought him to where he is today, standing beside him making his career a success and he will be forever grateful to them.
He also continues to be recognized for both his achievements on stage and for his charitable work, most recent awards being …
New York in 2020, were he received the NY Donegal Person Of The Year Award.
Minot, N.Dakota in 2018, where he has been inducted into the Scandinavian-America Hall of Fame & received the Humanitarian award.
Chicago in 2017, where he won the prestigious IBAM award in Chicago. These international awards are presented annually at the Irish-American Heritage Centre in Chicago in a celebration of IrishBooks, Arts and Music.
On screen, there have been countless TV appearances in Ireland & the UK, but most notable are…
‘Daniel and Majella’s B&B Road Trip’ which has had 3 very successful series on RTE in Ireland.
And for the first time in 2018, they took a unique 1000-mile road trip deep through the Mid-West of America which also aired on RTE to rave reviews.
‘Room to Improve’, Daniel’s “Opry Le Daniel” TV series (now in its 10th season), the ‘Irish Country TV Awards’ live, the ‘Late, Late Country Special (on which the cream of Irish Country paid tribute to the late great Big Tom), ‘Keep It Country’ on Sky TV.
‘Opry Le Daniel’ – now in its 10th season, is the highest rated country music show on Ireland’s TG4, has seen Daniel present the absolute best of Irish and International country music singing talent. The show airs on TG4 & BBC TV Alba in Scotland, and can be viewed by countless fans all over the world courtesy of TG4’s player.
He also made his acting debut on the Irish TV soap ‘Ros na Run’.
All this recent and current TV success has seen Daniel’s career on the small screen blossom since he took on the daunting task of being a contestant in the 2015 series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, one of the BBC’s top-rated shows and one of Daniel’s all-time favourite TV shows.
Daniel’s concerts around the world sell out on a regular basis and after more than 40 years in the spotlight, as an engaging entertainer, he is still in love with performing and with audiences the world over.
His ‘White Christmas’ spectacular show, staged in the iconic and luxurious Dublin Convention Centre, Dublin in December 2016, sold out in 20 minutes and a third show added sold out in less than two days. Daniel took this spectacular show to Branson, USA in November 2018, where he performed 20 shows at The Welk Theatre. He takes it on the road again this coming fall (2021) to 10 cities across the Mid West.
2018 and 2019 saw Daniel doing more globe-trotting than ever, with tours in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka and Alaska, and just recently Mexico (on the Gertrude Byrne Cruise), as well as countless concerts and TV appearances in his homeland.
As he looks back on his legendary recording and touring career, Daniel can appreciate the pleasure he has brought millions of his adoring fans, his selfless philanthropy, and receiving his Honorary MBE for services to the music industry and charity.
There is no doubt but that Daniel intends to continue touring around the globe with his unique, life affirming shows of music, song and laughter, for a long time to come.
