Joe Dolan
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Joe" Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish
entertainer, recorder and singer of easy listening
song
s. A firm favourite with audiences all over the world, Joe's energetic and charismatic stage performances prompted the now immortal saying of "There's no show like a Joe show".
, Co. Westmeath on October 16, 1939. Joe lost both his parents at a young age - his father, a bicycle shop proprietor, died when Joe was eight; his mother when he was fifteen. He sang in school, and his mother had encouraged him to take up the piano.
He made his first stage appearance at a talent show in his native Mullingar
.
in 1958, Joe also got his first guitar, and he and his saxophone-playing brother Ben started to play in local bands. They soon formed a band of their own – The Drifters. Not long afterwards the band was renamed Joe Dolan and The Drifters.
The musical landscape in the 1960s was dominated by the showbands
. First single “The Answer to Everything”, released in September 1964, quickly reached number 4 in the charts and Joe and his band were guided by manager Seamus Casey. But in the summer of 1968, musical differences saw the band split up.
appearance the popularity of the song greatly increased across Europe and around the world – eventually becoming a number one hit in 14 countries.
Joe became an even bigger worldwide star with follow-up singles “Teresa” and “You’re Such a Good Looking Woman”. Although singles such as “It Makes No Difference” and “You and the Looking Glass” were not big hits at home or in the UK, they were international successes for Joe. When he hooked up with writers Roberto Danova and Peter Yellowstone in the mid 1970s things went well for him internationally – 1974's “Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller” was their first of many triumphs. It was later recorded by Showaddywaddy
, who had a Top 20 hit with the song in 1979 in the UK, Bay City Rollers
and Rod Stewart
.
It was followed by one of Joe’s biggest-ever sellers, “Lady in Blue”. His biggest ever selling single, it was popular in Europe
, Australasia
, Africa
and South America
but not in Ireland or the UK. Further hits including “Crazy Woman”, “Sister Mary”, “Midnight Lover”, “Hush Hush Maria” and “I Need You” followed. Reflective songs such as “If I Could Put My Life on Paper” showcased a more maturing artist, whilst definitive versions of songs such as “Danny Boy” ensured his international audiences always had a touch of Irish on disc and in concert. In any given month Joe could be touring the Middle East
one week, Australia
the next, then South Africa
and then back to Europe
and his beloved Ireland
.
In 1978, he made history when he became the first Western act to tour communist Russia
. Further international successes and tours followed, with hits such as “More and More” and “It’s You, It’s You, It’s You” ensuring he had little time to settle down for any reasonable length of time.
The eighties was a time of transition for Joe. He started the decade by achieving major success in Las Vegas for two years. But he never liked to be away from home for too long and having started the decade as one of the world’s biggest acts he decided to concentrate instead on Ireland.
With his own record label, studio and material Joe became one of the biggest selling independent artists of the 1990s with albums such as ‘Endless Magic’ keeping him near the top of the charts. At the end of the decade he refined his voice for the 21st century when he hooked up with EMI
for a series of albums (such as ‘Joe’s 90s’, ‘21st Century Joe’ and ‘Home Grown’) which saw him tackle more contemporary music from acts as diverse as Oasis
, Pulp
, Blur
, U2
, Bruce Springsteen
, The Coral
, R.E.M.
, Mundy
and his old pal Robbie Williams
(Joe was a good friend of Robbie’s father, and he often stayed at the Williams home when in the UK). He brought Blur to the top of the Irish charts with a version of “The Universal”. It became a staple of his live shows. At the Oxegen
Festival 2009, Blur’s Damon Albarn
dedicated the song to Joe.
Joe recorded “Let There Be Love”- an album of old-school crooner classics perfectly suited to his smooth and still powerful voice. Plans were set in motion for further albums and some major concerts to cement his legendary status and as 2007 came to a close the clamour for Joe’s concert tickets was greater than ever.
’s Joe Duffy show as one of their Top Ten books of the year. It was released on paperback in June 2009 and was launched in the UK with a night in honour of Joe at the Boogaloo in Highgate. Pete Doherty
, The Aftermath and Dire Straits
founding member John Illsley were among those in attendance at the UK launch.
. In autumn 2007, on advice from his doctors, Dolan cancelled his Vicar Street
concerts due to "exhaustion". On December 16, 2007, the front page of the Sunday Independent
reported that Dolan was suffering from a "bad virus" and had been forced to cancel his entire Christmas tour. Joe Dolan's website was inundated with well wishes in the wake of the article, which was reproduced in several newspapers the following day.
On December 26, 2007, Dolan was rushed from his home in Foxrock to the Mater Private Hospital
in Dublin following a worsening of his illness. He died of a brain hemorrhage at approximately 15:00 hours that day.
He was laid to rest after a funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Mullingar on 29 December 2007.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
entertainer, recorder and singer of easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s. A firm favourite with audiences all over the world, Joe's energetic and charismatic stage performances prompted the now immortal saying of "There's no show like a Joe show".
Early life and family
The youngest of eight children, Joe Dolan was born into a musical household on the outskirts of MullingarMullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
, Co. Westmeath on October 16, 1939. Joe lost both his parents at a young age - his father, a bicycle shop proprietor, died when Joe was eight; his mother when he was fifteen. He sang in school, and his mother had encouraged him to take up the piano.
He made his first stage appearance at a talent show in his native Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
.
The Drifters
As well as securing his first (and last) “real” job as a compositor in local newspaper The Westmeath ExaminerWestmeath Examiner
The Westmeath Examiner is a broadsheet newspaper in Westmeath, Ireland. It was founded in 1882. The Westmeath Examiner is a sister paper of the Westmeath Independent which circulates in the Athlone area of the county. The Westmeath Examiner circulates in the north of the county and is based in...
in 1958, Joe also got his first guitar, and he and his saxophone-playing brother Ben started to play in local bands. They soon formed a band of their own – The Drifters. Not long afterwards the band was renamed Joe Dolan and The Drifters.
The musical landscape in the 1960s was dominated by the showbands
Irish showband
The Irish Showband was a dance band format which was popular in Ireland during the early rock and roll era from mid 1950s to the late 1970s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six or seven piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and cover...
. First single “The Answer to Everything”, released in September 1964, quickly reached number 4 in the charts and Joe and his band were guided by manager Seamus Casey. But in the summer of 1968, musical differences saw the band split up.
Solo career
The move left Joe alone, but not for long as he had more success with “Make Me an Island”. The track was a massive hit in England and after a Top of the PopsTop of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
appearance the popularity of the song greatly increased across Europe and around the world – eventually becoming a number one hit in 14 countries.
Joe became an even bigger worldwide star with follow-up singles “Teresa” and “You’re Such a Good Looking Woman”. Although singles such as “It Makes No Difference” and “You and the Looking Glass” were not big hits at home or in the UK, they were international successes for Joe. When he hooked up with writers Roberto Danova and Peter Yellowstone in the mid 1970s things went well for him internationally – 1974's “Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller” was their first of many triumphs. It was later recorded by Showaddywaddy
Showaddywaddy
Showaddywaddy are a 1970s pop group from Leicester, England. They specialised in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, and dressed as Teddy Boys.-History:...
, who had a Top 20 hit with the song in 1979 in the UK, Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...
and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
.
It was followed by one of Joe’s biggest-ever sellers, “Lady in Blue”. His biggest ever selling single, it was popular in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
but not in Ireland or the UK. Further hits including “Crazy Woman”, “Sister Mary”, “Midnight Lover”, “Hush Hush Maria” and “I Need You” followed. Reflective songs such as “If I Could Put My Life on Paper” showcased a more maturing artist, whilst definitive versions of songs such as “Danny Boy” ensured his international audiences always had a touch of Irish on disc and in concert. In any given month Joe could be touring the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
one week, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
the next, then South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and then back to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and his beloved Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
In 1978, he made history when he became the first Western act to tour communist Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Further international successes and tours followed, with hits such as “More and More” and “It’s You, It’s You, It’s You” ensuring he had little time to settle down for any reasonable length of time.
The eighties was a time of transition for Joe. He started the decade by achieving major success in Las Vegas for two years. But he never liked to be away from home for too long and having started the decade as one of the world’s biggest acts he decided to concentrate instead on Ireland.
With his own record label, studio and material Joe became one of the biggest selling independent artists of the 1990s with albums such as ‘Endless Magic’ keeping him near the top of the charts. At the end of the decade he refined his voice for the 21st century when he hooked up with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
for a series of albums (such as ‘Joe’s 90s’, ‘21st Century Joe’ and ‘Home Grown’) which saw him tackle more contemporary music from acts as diverse as Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
, Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, The Coral
The Coral
The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula in England. The band first emerged during the early 2000s and found success with their debut album The Coral and follow up Magic and Medicine...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Mundy
Mundy
Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...
and his old pal Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
(Joe was a good friend of Robbie’s father, and he often stayed at the Williams home when in the UK). He brought Blur to the top of the Irish charts with a version of “The Universal”. It became a staple of his live shows. At the Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
Festival 2009, Blur’s Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
dedicated the song to Joe.
Joe recorded “Let There Be Love”- an album of old-school crooner classics perfectly suited to his smooth and still powerful voice. Plans were set in motion for further albums and some major concerts to cement his legendary status and as 2007 came to a close the clamour for Joe’s concert tickets was greater than ever.
Publication of Official Biography
Before Joe died, he had been working on his memoirs with Irish journalist, author and broadcaster Ronan Casey. After his passing, these were released by Penguin as “Joe Dolan: The Official Biography.” The book was a critical and commercial success in Ireland, and it was rated by the listeners of RTERTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
’s Joe Duffy show as one of their Top Ten books of the year. It was released on paperback in June 2009 and was launched in the UK with a night in honour of Joe at the Boogaloo in Highgate. Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
, The Aftermath and Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
founding member John Illsley were among those in attendance at the UK launch.
Personal life
Joe Dolan never married and dealt with speculation about his sexuality throughout his life. However, he dismissed persistent rumours that he was gay as a "load of old rubbish".Illness and death
In 2005, Dolan had a hip replacementHip replacement
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe...
. In autumn 2007, on advice from his doctors, Dolan cancelled his Vicar Street
Vicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
concerts due to "exhaustion". On December 16, 2007, the front page of the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
reported that Dolan was suffering from a "bad virus" and had been forced to cancel his entire Christmas tour. Joe Dolan's website was inundated with well wishes in the wake of the article, which was reproduced in several newspapers the following day.
On December 26, 2007, Dolan was rushed from his home in Foxrock to the Mater Private Hospital
Mater Private Hospital
The Mater Private Hospital is a private Catholic hospital in Ireland. Founded in 1986, it shares a campus on Eccles Street, Dublin 7, with its sister public hospital, the Mater Misercordiae Hospital...
in Dublin following a worsening of his illness. He died of a brain hemorrhage at approximately 15:00 hours that day.
He was laid to rest after a funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Mullingar on 29 December 2007.
Legacy
Joe now has a 540 metre bridge named after him: the Joe Dolan Bridge in Mullingar, opened officially 6 September 2010.Hit songs (partial list)
- 1964: "The Answer to Everything"
- 1965: "I Love You More and More Everyday"
- 1967: "The House With the Whitewashed Gable"
- 1968: "The Westmeath Bachelor"
- 1969: "Make Me An Island"
- 1969: "Teresa"
- 1970: "You're Such a Good Looking Woman"
- 1974: "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller"
- 1975: "Lady in Blue" / "My Darling Michelle"
- 1976: "Sister Mary" Duet with Kelly MarieKelly MarieKelly Marie is a Scottish disco singer. Her only notable hit was "Feels Like I'm in Love", a #1 hit in the UK in 1980.-Early career:...
- 1976: "You Belong to MeYou Belong to Me (1952 song)"You Belong to Me" is a pop music ballad from the 1950s. The singer reminds his/her lover that, whatever exotic locales and sights he/she experiences, "you belong to me." It is credited to three writers: Pee Wee King, Chilton Price, and Redd Stewart...
" - 1977: "I Need You"
- 1981: "More and More"
- 1981: "It's You It's You It's You"
- 1983 "Sometimes When We Touch"
- 1984 "Come Back Home"
- 1988 "Take Me I'm Yours"
- 1989 "Wait 'til The Clouds Roll By (Jenny)"
- 1990 "She Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
- 1993 "Ciara"
- 1994 "Somebody To Call My Girl"
- 1996 "I'll Give All My Love To You"
- 1997 "Endless Magic"
- 1997 "Good Looking Woman" (Duet With Dustin)
- 1998 "The Universal"
- 1998 "Disco 2000"
- 1998 "Place Your Hands"
- 1999 "Everybody Hurts"
- 1999 "Brilliant Disguise"
- 2001 "Better Man"
- 2002 "Dreaming Of You"
- 2003 "Yours Faithfully"
- 2004 "Little Green Bag"
- 2007 (4 track Tribute EP)
- 2008 "Oh Holy Night"
Studio Albums
- The Answer To Everything (1964)
- Make Me an Island (1969)
- You're Such a Good Looking Woman (1970)
- Lady in Blue (1975)
- Sister Mary (1976)
- Midnight Lover (1978)
- Turn Out the Light (1979)
- More and More
- Here and Now
- This Is My Life
- Always on My Mind
- Always Loved You
- Can't Give Enough (1993)
- Endless Magic (1997)
- Joe's 90's (1998)
- 21st Century Joe (1999)
- Home Grown (2003)
- Double 'O' Joe (2004)
- Let There Be Love (2007)