Brendan O'Dowda facts for kids
Brendan O'Dowda (born October 1, 1925 – died February 22, 2002) was an Irish tenor. A tenor is a male singer with a high voice. He became very famous for singing the songs of Percy French. Percy French was a well-known Irish songwriter.
Brendan O'Dowda's Early Life
Brendan O'Dowda was born in Dundalk, a town in County Louth, Ireland. He went to school at the De la Salle Brothers' school in Dundalk.
From a young age, Brendan showed great talent for singing. His singing skills caught the attention of Dr. Vincent O'Brien. Dr. O'Brien had also taught another famous tenor, John McCormack. With Dr. O'Brien's help, Brendan developed his own amazing tenor voice. He began to perform at charity events across the country.
His Singing Career
Brendan O'Dowda was offered a career in opera, which is a type of musical play. However, he preferred popular music. In the early 1950s, he moved to England to help his career grow.
In England, he started a music group called The Four Ramblers. Val Doonican was also part of this group. Later, Brendan became a successful solo singer on BBC Radio. He was a guest on popular shows like Just A Song At Twilight and Music for You.
Brendan's first album was called Emerald and Tartan. It included two songs by Percy French. This album was very successful. Because of this, he released another album in 1958. This album, called The Immortal Percy French, was entirely about Percy French's songs. From then on, Brendan O'Dowda became strongly linked with Percy French's music.
He even created a special one-man show. This show was all about the life and songs of Percy French. In 1981, Brendan wrote a book about the composer. The book was titled The World of Percy French.
Brendan O'Dowda became famous around the world. He toured the United States. He even appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a very popular TV show. In 1959, he sang one of the main songs in the film Alive and Kicking. He also sang a duet with Ruby Murray for the movie Darby O'Gill and the Little People.
Family and Later Life
Brendan O'Dowda had several children. His grandson, Callum O'Dowda, is a professional football player. Callum plays for the Welsh club Cardiff City and for the Republic of Ireland national football team.
Brendan O'Dowda passed away in a hospital near his home in Fareham, England. He was 76 years old. He is buried in Esker Cemetery in Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland.
