Joe Dolan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Dolan
Dolan on TopPop, 1975
Born	Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (1939-10-16)16 October 1939 Mullingar, Ireland
Died	26 December 2007(2007-12-26) (aged 68) Dublin, Ireland
Other names	The Roaring Hyena
Occupation	Band lead singer, solo singer
Years active	1958–2007
Musical career
Genres	Pop, rock, country

Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (born October 16, 1939 – died December 26, 2007) was a famous Irish singer and entertainer. He was well-known in Ireland for his connection to showbands. People loved his unique singing style and high-pitched voice. Joe Dolan was also famous for his energetic shows. His fans often said, "There's no show like the Joe show!"

Joe Dolan was the only Irish singer to have a number one hit in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He was a regular on the music charts in Ireland and around the world.

Early Life and Family

Joe Dolan was born in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland, on October 16, 1939. He was the youngest of nine children in a Roman Catholic family. Joe became an orphan when he was young. His father, who owned a bicycle shop, died when Joe was ten. His mother passed away when he was nineteen.

Joe loved to sing at school. His mother even encouraged him to learn the piano. He first performed on stage at a talent show in Mullingar.

What Made His Voice Special?

Joe Dolan had a very high singing voice. He could sing many different notes without using a special technique called falsetto. He also used a singing style called melisma. This is when a singer holds one syllable of a word and sings many different notes on it.

This kind of vocal range was not common in the 1960s and 1970s. However, later artists like Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston also became famous for similar singing styles.

His Amazing Music Career

How Joe Dolan Started: The Drifters

In 1958, Joe Dolan got his first guitar. He also started his first and only "normal" job at a local newspaper. After learning to play the guitar, he and his brother Ben, who played saxophone, started playing in local bands.

Soon, they formed their own band called The Drifters. To avoid problems with a famous American band with the same name, they changed their band's name. First, they were Joe Dolan and the Drifters. Then, they became Joe Dolan and His Drifters.

In the 1960s, showbands were very popular in Ireland. Joe's band released their first song, "The Answer to Everything," in September 1964. It reached number 4 on the Irish music charts.

Touring the World

Joe Dolan went on his first tour of the United States in 1965. He visited cities like Chicago, New York, and Boston. This trip helped him hear new American music that hadn't reached the UK and Ireland yet. One of the first songs he found was (That's When I see the Blue in Your) Pretty Brown Eyes. He released his own version in 1966.

He toured the US again in 1967. In 1980, he finally performed in Las Vegas. He played 64 shows and sold out most of them! He was so popular that he was asked to come back right away in 1981. Even though he was offered more money, Joe decided not to return to Las Vegas for future shows.

In 1978, Joe Dolan became the first Irish artist to tour communist Russia. He was also one of the first Western artists to do so.

His Hit Songs and Albums

After changing his band, Joe Dolan recorded "Make Me an Island." This song became a huge hit in England. It led to Joe's first appearance on the BBC show Top of the Pops. This song helped make him the biggest Irish star in the world at that time. It became a number one hit in 14 countries! It also reached number 3 in the UK.

After "Make Me an Island," Joe signed with the MAM Agency, which also managed Tom Jones. His next songs, "Teresa" and "You're Such a Good Looking Woman," were also very popular. Other songs like "It Makes No Difference" and "You and the Looking Glass" were big hits internationally, even if they weren't as huge in Ireland or the UK.

In the mid-1970s, Joe worked with writers Roberto Danova and Peter Yellowstone. They created more songs that did well around the world. "Lady in Blue" became his biggest hit ever. It earned five gold records and sold one million copies! This song was popular in Europe, Africa, and South America.

More hits followed, including "Crazy Woman," "Sister Mary," "Midnight Lover," "Hush Hush Maria," and "I Need You." Joe also sang classic Irish songs like "Danny Boy." He was always touring, going from the Middle East to Australia, South Africa, and then back to Europe and Ireland.

In the 1990s, Joe Dolan started his own record label and studio. This made him one of the best-selling independent artists. His albums like Endless Magic stayed high on the music charts. Later, he worked with EMI and released albums like Joe's 90s and 21st Century Joe. On these albums, he sang songs by more modern bands like Oasis, Pulp, Blur, and U2. At the Oxegen Festival in 2009, Blur's Damon Albarn even dedicated a song to Joe Dolan.

His Later Years and Passing

Joe Dolan never married.

His health started to get worse after he had a hip replacement surgery in 2005. This surgery kept him from performing for a year. Doctors also found out he had Type 2 Diabetes.

In Autumn 2007, his doctors told him to cancel his concerts because he was very tired. On December 16, 2007, newspapers reported that Joe Dolan was suffering from a "bad virus" and had to cancel his Christmas tour. Fans sent many messages wishing him well.

Joe Dolan became weaker and was sent home from the hospital on December 23, 2007. He spent Christmas Day at his home with friends. Later that evening, he became very ill and was taken back to the hospital. Joe Dolan passed away on St Stephen's Day, December 26, 2007, at 68 years old. His family and friends were with him.

His funeral was held in Mullingar on December 29, 2007. Many famous people attended, including singer Ronnie Drew and former Irish leader Albert Reynolds. Joe Dolan is buried in Walshestown Cemetery in Mullingar.

Grave of Joe Dolan at Walshestown Cemetery, Mullingar

Joe Dolan's Legacy

Joe Dolan is still remembered in his hometown of Mullingar. A long bridge, about 540 meters (1,770 feet) long, was named after him. It opened on September 6, 2010. There is also a statue of Joe Dolan in Mullingar's Market Square.

Statue of Joe Dolan in Mullingar

Images for kids

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  Portrait of Joe Dolan

Discography

Studio Albums

• The Answer to Everything (1968)
• Make Me an Island (1969)
• You're Such a Good Lookin' Woman (1970)
• Lady in Blue (1975)
• Sister Mary (1976)
• Midnight Lover (1978)
• Turn Out the Light (1979)
• More and More (1982)
• Here and Now (1983)
• Always on My Mind (1985)
• This Is My Life (1987)
• Always Loved You (1990)
• Can't Give Enough (1994)
• Endless Magic (1997)
• Joe's 90s (1998)
• 21st Century Joe (1999)
• Home Grown (2003)
• Double 'O' Joe (2004)
• Let There Be Love (2007)

Compilation Albums

• Joe Dolan's Greatest Hits (1968)
• Golden Hour of Joe Dolan - Vol. 1 (1974)
• Golden Hour of Joe Dolan - Vol. 2 (1975)
• I Need You (And Other Great Hits) (1979)
• Joe Dolan at His Best (1980)
• The Story of Joe Dolan (1993)
• The Singles+ (1998)
• No Better Man - His Greatest Hits (2001)
• Yours Faithfully (2003)
• Make Me an Island - The Pye Anthology (2004)
• Legends of Irish Music (2007)
• The Platinum Collection (2008)
• Joe Dolan, Orchestrated (2016)
• Joe Dolan, Orchestrated Volume 2 (2017)

Singles (Selected List)

• "The Answer to Everything" (1964)
• "I Love You More and More Everyday" (1965)
• "My Own Peculiar Way" (1965)
• "Aching Breaking Heart" (1965)
• "Pretty Brown Eyes" (1966)
• "The House with the Whitewashed Gable" (1967)
• "Tar and Cement" (1967)
• "Love of the Common People" (1968)
• "Make Me an Island" (1969)
• "Teresa" (1969)
• "You're Such a Good Looking Woman" (1970)
• "It Makes No Difference" (1970)
• "You and the Looking Glass" (1971)
• "Take the Money and Run" (1972)
• "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller" (1973)
• "Most Wanted Man in the USA" (1975)
• "Lady in Blue" (1975)
• "Sister Mary" (1976)
• "Hush Hush Maria" (1977)
• "I Need You" (1977)
• "Little Boy Big Man" (1978)
• "My Love" (1979)
• "Silent Night" (1979)
• "More and More" (1981)
• "It's You It's You It's You" (1981)
• "It's Only Make Believe" (1982)
• "Deeper and Deeper" (1983)
• "Sometimes When We Touch" (1984)
• "Come Back Home" (1984)
• "Don't Set Me Free" (1987)
• "Take Me I'm Yours" (1988)
• "Wait 'til the Clouds Roll By (Jenny)" (1989)
• "She Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1990)
• "Ciara" (1993)
• "Good Looking Woman" (duet with Dustin) (1997)
• "The Universal" (1998)
• "Let There Be Love" (2008)