Dana Rosemary Scallon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dana Rosemary Scallon
Scallon in 2004
Member of the European Parliament
In office 11 June 1999 – 11 June 2004
Constituency	Connacht–Ulster
Personal details
Born	Rosemary Brown (1950-08-30) 30 August 1950 (age 74) Islington, London, England
Citizenship	Ireland United Kingdom United States
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Damien Scallon ​ (m. 1978)​
Children	4
Musical career
Also known as	Dana
Origin	Derry, Northern Ireland
Genres	Celtic folk pop Christian
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Rex Decca GTO Creole Warwick Fanfare Epic Heart Beat Lite Ritz Word DS Music Cherry Red FOD Records

Dana Rosemary Scallon (born Rosemary Brown; 30 August 1950), known as Dana, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and politician. She became famous as a schoolgirl when she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 with her song "All Kinds of Everything". This song sold millions worldwide and started her music career.

Later, Dana entered politics. She ran for president of Ireland in 1997 but was not elected. However, in 1999, she was chosen as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Connacht–Ulster area. She served as an MEP until 2004. She also ran for president again in 2011.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Dana was born Rosemary Brown in Islington, London, England. She was one of seven children. Her father, Robert Brown, worked at King's Cross station and was also a barber and trumpeter. Her family moved to London from Derry, Northern Ireland, after World War II to find work.

When Dana was five, her family moved back to Derry. She grew up in the Creggan housing estate and Bogside. At age six, she won her first talent show. Other children called her "Dana," which is an Irish word meaning bold or mischievous. This was because she practiced judo moves.

Dana went to Thornhill College, a Catholic school for girls in Derry. When she was 14, she worked a summer job at a chewing gum factory in Essex.

Starting Her Music Career

Before she turned 16, Dana signed with Rex Records, a part of Decca Records. She started performing as Dana. Her first song was "Sixteen." She also wrote her own song called "Little Girl Blue."

While studying music and English, she became popular in Dublin's music clubs. In 1968, she was named Queen of Cabaret. She was encouraged to try out for the Irish National Song Contest, which chooses Ireland's entry for Eurovision. In 1969, she came in second place.

Eurovision Victory and Pop Success

In December 1969, Dana was asked to try for the Irish National Song Contest again. This time, she sang a song called "All Kinds of Everything." She won the Irish contest.

On 21 March 1970, when she was 19, Dana performed "All Kinds of Everything" at the Eurovision finals in Amsterdam. About 200 million people watched her. She was the last of 12 singers to perform. She won the contest with 32 points, making it Ireland's first win.

The song "All Kinds of Everything" was written by Derry Lindsay and Jackie Smith. It quickly became number one in Ireland before the contest. It also reached number one in the UK singles chart and was popular in many other countries. The song sold over two million copies.

Continuing Her Pop Career

Dana's first album, also called All Kinds of Everything, was released in June 1970. It included some songs she helped write. Her next big hit was "Who Put the Lights Out" in 1971, which reached number 5 in Ireland and number 14 in the UK.

In 1974, she released "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello," which was a top 10 hit in Ireland and the UK. She even recorded a German version of the song. Dana also made songs in French and Japanese.

In 1975, her song "It's Gonna be a Cold Cold Christmas" became a big hit, reaching number 4 in the UK and number 3 in Ireland. She won awards for Best Female Singer in Britain that year.

In 1976, Dana had another hit with "Fairytale." However, she had to have surgery on her vocal cord, which made some people wonder if she would sing again. After working with a singing teacher, she was able to perform again.

Her album The Girl is Back came out in 1979. It was her first album with all new songs. The song "Something's Cookin' in the Kitchen" was a hit in Ireland and the UK.

Shift to Christian Music

A new part of Dana's career began after Pope John Paul II visited Ireland in September 1979. This inspired her and her husband to write a song called "Totus Tuus," which means "Totally Yours" in Latin. This song became number one in Ireland.

Because of this success, Dana started focusing on Christian music. She was invited to the USA and signed a contract with Word Records, a Christian music label. Her album Everything is Beautiful was released in 1980 and became her best-selling album in the UK. She released her first Christian album, Totally Yours, in 1981.

In 1982, she released a pop album called Magic. She also wrote the official 1982 FIFA World Cup song for Northern Ireland, "Yer Man," with her younger brothers. Her second Christian album, Let There Be Love, came out later.

Dana also acted in a play called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in London's West End. She played Snow White for over 14 years in different cities.

In 1985, Dana published her autobiography, Dana – An Autobiography. It shared her life story and her growing faith. She also released an album of older songs called If I Give My Heart to You.

In 1987, Dana sang "Totus Tuus" for Pope John Paul II in New Orleans. The Pope thanked her personally for writing the song.

1990s and Beyond

Catholic Music and Television

In the early 1990s, Dana and her family moved to Alabama in the USA. She started working with Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic TV channel. She hosted several music shows, which made her a popular Catholic music singer across America. She released many music and prayer albums with Heart Beat Records.

In 1993, Dana was invited to sing her song "We Are One Body" for Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in Denver. She also sang at World Youth Day events in Paris (1997), Toronto (2002), and Sydney (2008).

Entering Politics

Scallon in 1999

In 1997, Dana was asked to run for president of Ireland. She had not been interested in politics before, but she decided to run as an Independent candidate. Her campaign focused on the Irish Constitution. She was the first presidential candidate to be nominated only by County and City Councils. She came in third place in the election.

Member of European Parliament

In 1999, Dana became a citizen of the United States. In the same year, she ran for a seat in the European Parliament and won. She represented the Connacht–Ulster area. She campaigned on her beliefs about family values. As an MEP, she moved back to Ireland from the US.

Later Career

After losing her European Parliament seat in 2004, Dana returned to entertainment. In 2005, she appeared on an RTÉ television show where she focused on fitness. In 2006, she competed in the dance show Celebrity Jigs 'n' Reels and came in second.

In 2006, Dana and her husband started their own music label, DS Music Productions. They released albums like Totus Tuus, dedicated to Pope John Paul II. They also released a children's album and DVD called Good Morning Jesus: Prayers & Songs for Children of All Ages.

In 2007, Dana published her second autobiography, All Kinds of Everything, which focused on her political career. She also released a new album called A Thing Called Love.

In 2009, Dana was a judge on The All Ireland Talent Show. In 2011, she was a contestant on Celebrity Bainisteoir, a reality TV show, but she had to leave when she announced she would run for president again.

Recent Music

In 2019, Dana released a new song called "Falling" and an album called My Time. In 2023, she released a new version of her hit song "Fairytale."

2011 Presidential Campaign

On 19 September 2011, Dana announced she would run for the Irish presidency again. She was nominated by several county councils and became one of seven candidates.

During the campaign, Dana talked about protecting Ireland's independence. She also revealed that she had dual US and Irish citizenship, which she said she had no reason to hide.

Towards the end of the campaign, Dana spoke about a false accusation made against her family in the United States. Her brother, John Brown, had been accused in 2008. He denied the accusation and was later found not guilty of all charges in 2014. He has since won legal cases against newspapers that published false stories about him.

The election took place on 27 October 2011. Dana received 2.9% of the votes and came in sixth place.

Personal Life

On 5 October 1978, Dana married hotelier Damien Scallon in Derry. They first met in 1970 after her Eurovision win. After their honeymoon, they made their home in Rostrevor, County Down. They have four children.

As of 2011, the Scallons were living in Claregalway, County Galway.

Discography

Albums

• All Kinds of Everything (1970)
• Have a Nice Day (1975)
• Love Songs & Fairytales (1976)
• The Girl is Back (1979)
• Everything is Beautiful (1980)
• Totally Yours (1981)
• Magic (1982)
• Let There Be Love (1983)
• Please Tell Him That I Said Hello (1984)
• If I Give My Heart to You (1985)
• In the Palm Of His Hand (1987)
• No Greater Love (1988)
• The Gift of Love (1989)
• Dana's Ireland (1990)
• The Rosary (1991)
• Lady of Knock (1992)
• Hail Holy Queen (1993)
• Say Yes! (1994)
• The Healing Rosary (1995)
• Heavenly Portrait (1996)
• Humble Myself (1997)
• Forever Christmas (1998)
• Stations of The Cross (1999)
• Perfect Gift (2004)
• In Memory of Me (2005)
• Totus Tuus (2006)
• Good Morning Jesus! (2007)
• A Thing Called Love (2008)
• Praise & Thanks (2012)
• Ave Maria (2013)
• My Time (2019)

Compilation Albums

• The World of Dana (1975)
• All Kinds of Everything (1990)
• Dana The Collection (1996)
• The Best of Dana (1998)
• The GTO Years (2010)

Singles

• "Sixteen" (1967)
• "Come Along Murphy" (1968)
• "Heidschi Bumbeidschi" (1968)
• "Look Around" (1969)
• "All Kinds of Everything" (1970)
• "I Will Follow You" (1970)
• "Who Put the Lights Out" (1971)
• "Today" (1971)
• "Isn't It a Pity" (1971)
• "New Days......New Ways" (1972)
• "Crossword Puzzle" (1972)
• "Do I Still Figure in Your Life" (1973)
• "Corner of the Sky/Morning Glow" (1973)
• "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday" (1973)
• "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello" (1975)
• "Are You Still Mad at Me" (1975)
• "Rivers Are for Boats" (1975)
• "It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas" (1975)
• "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (1976)
• "Fairytale" (1976)
• "It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas" (reissue) (1976)
• "I Love How You Love Me" (1977)
• "Put Some Words Together" (1977)
• "Something's Cooking in the Kitchen" (1979)
• "The Girl is Back (in Town)" (1979)
• "I Can't Get Over Getting Over You" (1979)
• "Totus Tuus" (1979)
• "When a Child is Born" (1980)
• "Lady of Knock" (1981)
• "Dream Lover" (1981)
• "I Feel Love Comin' On" (1982)
• "Yer Man" (with The Northern Ireland 1982 World Cup Squad) (1982)
• "You Never Gave Me Your Love" (1982)
• "If You Really Love Me" (1983)
• "Little Things Mean a Lot" (1985)
• "If I Give My Heart to You" (1985)
• "Everything is Beautiful" (1986)
• "Lipstick on Your Collar" (1986)
• "Summer Romeo" (1988)
• "Harmony" (with Gerry Brown) (1989)
• "Creggan Vale" (1991)
• "Children of the World" (2005)
• "Falling" (2019)

Images for kids

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  Dana arriving at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on 16 March 1970

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  Dana singing at the Eurovision Song Contest 1970.