Dan Seals facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Seals
Seals in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Danny Wayland Seals
Also known as	England Dan
Born	(1948-02-08)February 8, 1948 McCamey, Texas, U.S.
Died	March 25, 2009(2009-03-25) (aged 61) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country soft rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1970–2009
Labels	Atlantic Liberty Capitol Warner Bros. Intersound TDC Lightyear

Danny Wayland Seals (born February 8, 1948 – died March 25, 2009) was an American musician. Many people knew him as England Dan. He was the younger brother of Jim Seals, who was part of the famous group Seals and Crofts.

Dan Seals first became well-known as half of the soft rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. This duo had nine hit songs between 1976 and 1980. Their biggest hit was "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight", which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

After the duo broke up, Dan Seals started a solo career. He began with soft rock music, then later switched to country music. From the 1980s into the early 1990s, he released 16 albums. He also had more than 20 hit songs on the country music charts.

Eleven of his songs reached number one. These included "Meet Me in Montana" (with Marie Osmond), "Bop", and "Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)". He also had "One Friend" and "Love on Arrival". Five more of his songs also made it into the top ten on the country charts.

Early Life and Nickname

Danny Wayland Seals was born in McCamey, Texas. His older brother, Jim Seals, gave him the childhood nickname "England Dan." Jim also suggested using "England Dan" in the duo's name, England Dan & John Ford Coley.

The nickname came about because when Dan was young, he really loved the Beatles. He even started speaking with a British accent for a short time!

Working with John Ford Coley

Dan Seals teamed up with his friend and classmate from W. W. Samuell High School, John Ford Coley. They first played together in a group called Southwest F.O.B. Later, they formed the duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.

In 1970, A&M Records signed them. But they didn't have many hits in the U.S., so the record company dropped them two years later. Dan Seals later said this was a tough time financially. Things got better when they signed with Big Tree Records.

They then had six top 40 hits from the mid-1970s. Their biggest hit was "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" in 1976, which reached number two. Other popular songs included "Nights Are Forever Without You" and "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again". After releasing seven albums, the duo split up in 1980. Dan Seals then started his new journey as a solo country-pop artist.

Solo Music Career

In 1983, Dan Seals signed with Capitol Records and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. He started recording music under his own name, Dan Seals. At first, it was a bit hard for him. However, his singing style and emotional songs fit well with country music at that time.

His solo career really took off with the song "God Must Be a Cowboy" in 1983. This song reached number 10 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. It was the first of 16 songs in a row that made it into the top ten or even number one by 1990.

In 1985, he sang a duet with Marie Osmond called "Meet Me in Montana". This song became his first number one hit. After that, he had eight more number one songs in a row! His 11th country number one was a cover of Sam Cooke's "Good Times" in 1990.

As country music changed in the 1990s with new artists like Garth Brooks, Dan Seals spent more time with his family and his religion, the Baháʼí Faith. He still recorded music and went on tour. He even performed at the Baháʼí World Congress in 1992.

Albums

Dan Seals released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his most notable ones:

First Solo Albums: Stones and Harbinger

His first solo album was called Stones. He kept the name England Dan for this album. One song, "Late at Night," reached number 57 on the US Hot 100 pop chart. However, the album wasn't a big commercial success. His next album, Harbinger, also didn't do very well. After these, he decided to focus on country music.

Breakthrough with Rebel Heart

In 1983, he released Rebel Heart, his first album with Capitol Records. This album was much more successful. The song "God Must Be a Cowboy" became his first top 10 hit in early 1984. The album itself reached number 40 on the country albums chart.

More Success with San Antone

His 1984 album San Antone was even more popular. Songs like "(You Bring Out) The Wild Side of Me" and "My Baby's Got Good Timing" were big hits. This album reached number 24 on the country albums chart.

Number One Album: Won't Be Blue Anymore

His 1985 album Won't Be Blue Anymore became his most successful studio album. It reached number one on the country albums chart and sold enough copies to be certified gold.

The duet "Meet Me in Montana" with Marie Osmond became his first number one hit in 1985. This song also won them an award for Vocal Duo of the Year. The next song from the album, "Bop", became his first solo number one hit. Another popular song was "Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)", which was about a rodeo cowboy raising his child alone.

Continued Hits with On the Front Line

The album On the Front Line reached number 12 on the country albums chart. All three songs released from it became number one hits in 1987: "You Still Move Me", "I Will Be There", and "Three Time Loser".

First Greatest Hits: The Best

Dan Seals released his first collection of hits, The Best, in 1987. All the songs on it were top ten hits. A new version of "One Friend" was included and also reached number one. This album reached number 7 and sold over a million copies.

Rage On and More Number Ones

In 1988, Dan Seals released the album Rage On. The first song, "Addicted", became a number one country hit. The next song, "Big Wheels in the Moonlight", also reached number one in early 1989. This made it his ninth number one song in a row!

On Arrival and Last Number Ones

Dan Seals started the 1990s with his eighth album, On Arrival. The first song, "Love on Arrival", reached number one in 1990 and stayed there for three weeks. After that, his cover of the classic song "Good Times" became his last number one hit.

Later Career and Passing

Dan Seals continued to tour and perform throughout the 1990s. He released a few more albums on smaller record labels. These included Fired Up in 1994 and In a Quiet Room in 1995, which featured acoustic versions of his earlier hits.

In the early 2000s, Dan Seals went on tour with his brother Jim, calling themselves Seals & Seals. They performed their popular songs from their past groups and Dan's solo hits.

Sadly, Dan Seals passed away on March 25, 2009, at the age of 61, after a period of illness.

After his passing, two of his duets with singer Juice Newton were released in 2010. In 2013, Kenny Rogers recorded a song written by Dan Seals called "It's Gonna Be Easy Now."

Discography

Studio albums

• Stones (1980)
• Harbinger (1982)
• Rebel Heart (1983)
• San Antone (1984)
• Won't Be Blue Anymore (1985)
• On the Front Line (1986)
• Rage On (1988)
• On Arrival (1990)
• Walking the Wire (1992)
• Fired Up (1994)
• In a Quiet Room (1995)
• In a Quiet Room II (1998)
• Make It Home (2002)

Compilation albums

• The Best (1987)
• Portrait (1990)
• Early Dan Seals (1991)
• Greatest Hits (1991)
• The Best of Dan Seals (1994)
• Certified Hits (2001)
• The Best of Dan Seals (2005)

Number-One Hits

Dan Seals had many songs reach number one on the Billboard country charts. Here are his eleven number-one hits:

• "Meet Me in Montana" (with Marie Osmond) (1985)
• "Bop" (1986)
• "Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)" (1986)
• "You Still Move Me" (1987)
• "I Will Be There" (1987)
• "Three Time Loser" (1987)
• "One Friend" (1988)
• "Addicted" (1988)
• "Big Wheels in the Moonlight" (1989)
• "Love on Arrival" (1990)
• "Good Times" (1990)

Awards and Nominations

Dan Seals received several awards and nominations for his music.

Grammy Awards

American Music Awards

Country Music Association Awards