Joe Dolan is a legendary singer and songwriter of Irish descent. The peak of his fame came in the 70s. Dolan's songs have been "long-livers" in the music charts of many countries around the world. His work was loved in the Soviet Union as well.
Biography: early years
Joe (full name - Joseph Francis Robert) Dolan was born on October 16, 1939 in Mullingar. All his childhood was spent in this small Irish town in County Westmeath. He was the youngest of eight children. Everyone in his family loved music. Little Joe loved to play along with his older sisters when they sang. And since he was not yet trusted with a musical instrument at his age, he did it on a washboard.
At the age of eight, Dolan was left without a father. And after 7 years, my mother also died. By that time, his older sisters had already left their father's house and lived separately. Joe stayed with his older brother. At the age of 15, Dolan began making money. His brother got him a typesetter for a local newspaper. The money earned was used for food.
Music has not left his life. Rather, as a teenager, he even became obsessed with her. Joe began to dream of his own group. He soon quit his job to devote himself to creativity. He organized the group "Drifters" ("Drifting"), where he not only played the guitar, but also was the lead soloist. The collective actively performed at the entertainment venues of Mullingar.
Career
Joe Dolan became famous in 1964 when he released his debut disc. One of the songs from her - "The Answer To Everything" - immediately hit the top lines of the Irish charts. Further hits poured from a cornucopia, among them:
- "I Love You More And More Everyday";
- "Pretty Brown Eyes";
- "Love Of The Common People";
- "The Westmeath Bachelor".
In 1968, Dolan decided to perform solo. The very next year he gained worldwide fame thanks to the song "Make Me An Island". The composition exploded the charts in many countries. For a long time she was on the first line in the charts of 14 countries.
All subsequent songs performed by Dolan became hits. In the early 70s, he began to actively tour the world. His concerts were sold out.
In 1978, Joe came on tour to the USSR. This was the time of the so-called Iron Curtain. He went down in history as the first Western singer who came to the Union to perform.
In the 90s, Dolan built his own recording studio in his native Mullingar. In it, he spent almost all his free time from touring.
Joe went on an international tour for the rest of his days. Tickets for his concerts were sold out as quickly as at the peak of popularity.
Personal life
Joe Dolan was not married. Throughout his almost half-century career, there were rumors that he was a gay. The singer himself called such speculations "rubbish" in one of his interviews.
On September 27, 2007 Joe gave his last concert. Two months later, having celebrated Christmas in Dublin with friends, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. The Irish legend was buried next to his parents.
