Daniel O’Donnell has a lot to celebrate this year, his wife Majella’s son got married in Italy, he’s set to become a grandfather again and he’s marking 40 years in music. The country music star is still as busy and famous as ever, but he won’t always stay touring and he is conscious to put aside more time for himself and his family going forward after making a decision to slow down. He tells RSVP , “I will always sing, but I don’t think that I will always tour. I don’t think I’ll keep up touring to this extent.” Daniel also reveals he once thought about giving it all up and leaving music before making it big.
Music isn’t everything in life though, and Daniel is a big family man. Here, he shares how lucky he is to have met his wife Majella in a chance encounter in Tenerife, he lifts the lid on their family’s wonderful news and he opens up about spending Christmas at home in Donegal.
READ MORE: Daniel O'Donnell has slowed down and plans to cut down more from his hectic country music career
READ MORE: Daniel O'Donnell rules out permanent move to Tenerife with wife Majella as he lifts lid on private life
Daniel, congratulations, you’re celebrating 40 years in music. Is that hard to imagine?
It’s 40 years since I released my first album and it’s even more than that since I released my first record. When you look back at it, it’s amazing how quickly time has passed. Sometimes it feels like the blink of an eye and, all in all, it’s
been wonderful.
What have been your career highlights?
I never thought I’d be on Top Of The Pops and I never thought I’d have had this career. I never thought I’d be at this level and get to tour the places I have. I’ve been on TV shows here and there. It’s amazing when I sit back and think about it all.
Did you have a Plan B at any point?
If music didn’t work out for me and I had to do something else, I would have gone back and done teaching.
There was a time where you thought about giving it all up, isn’t that right?
I didn’t think it was going to work out for me and it was coming to a point where I needed to make a living. Although I had recorded my first album, I couldn’t see any benefit to being in the industry. I remember going to [music manager] Mick Clerkin in 1985 and telling him I didn’t think I was going to be able to stick it out. He told me there was a good reaction to the album forming and that it was starting to get airplay. I stuck it out a bit longer and, luckily, things started to take off for me.
Have you any plans to slow down or step back these days?
I have slowed down and I don’t do nearly as many shows as I used to. Going forward, I will cut down more. Visibly, people will know that they don’t see me as much.
Is the reason behind that because you want more time to yourself?
I want more time to relax and I want to get the right balance between having time off and time on.
What do you and Majella like to do together when you have free time?
We might go away somewhere on holidays, but we’re equally happy staying at home here in Donegal doing nothing. We like to do what we want to do. We do the same things that other people do. Time off is a novelty to us because we can’t always be at whatever is going on in our friends and family’s lives. So it’s lovely when we’ve the opportunity to be around. We love going to Tenerife as well and we love spending time with our grandchildren.
Do you count yourself lucky to make a living and get paid for doing something you love?
I think the majority of people work to live. They work because they have to. Then there’s a minority who get to do something that they choose to do. Everyone has a talent, but to have it work out and make a living from it is just fantastic.
Majella’s son Michael got married in Italy during the summer. How was the wedding?
It was a lovely wedding, we had a lovely time in Italy. And now we’ve another grandchild on the way – he and his wife Sarah are expecting a baby next year. It’s great!
Did you perform at the wedding?
I sang for them during their first dance. They wanted Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight .
What’s the excitement like in the family with another new arrival on the way?
We’re really looking forward to it, please God everything will go well. They live in Australia, so we will be
using FaceTime and WhatsApp to help with the long distance.
Will you and Majella go to Australia to see them before the baby is born?
No, not beforehand. Majella will go over at some stage after the baby is born.
You’re already a grandfather to Olivia, Archie and Luke, are they looking forward to having a first cousin?
They are, and they already have a lot of first cousins on their father’s side. They must have 12 on that side of the family already.
What do you like to do with them when you’re together?
I do whatever they’re doing, their tune is always louder than mine. So whatever their tune is, we have to sing that one when we’re with them.
What are your Christmas plans?
We will spend Christmas at home in Donegal this year. We went to Siobhan’s house in Banbridge last year, but she wanted to come to Donegal this year. I think she likes not being as busy and having to see to everything with the kids around. When you’re not in your own house, you don’t have to worry as much. There’s also that feeling like she’s coming home. We love having them. I love being at home too, going to Mass and being in the choir.
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Who does the cooking?
I won’t be cooking anyway, otherwise everyone would be starving. I don’t cook at all. I will wash the dishes. Majella is a great cook and so is Siobhan’s husband Gavin. Between them all, we won’t starve.
It must be lovely to spend the day with your grandkids?
Seeing the magic of Christmas unfolding in front of me with the kids around is absolutely brilliant. They really make Christmas, there’s no doubt about it.
You were on The Late Late Show country music special in October, it was another big success.
The night was great. It was lovely. They can’t have everybody from the country music scene on the one show.
I wasn’t on it last year because I was away. There will always be somebody missing. It’s when you get a gathering of everyone from the scene to showcase the music, it’s great. I know country music is not to everyone’s taste, but there’s any amount of people who love it here in Ireland. It always gets a big viewership.
Susan McCann was inducted into the hall of fame on the night.
It was lovely for Susan to be honoured in that way because she has been around for many years. She’s had a tremendous career with everything she’s done. It was a nice tribute to her and it was very fitting. She deserved it, without any hesitation.
Your sister Margo was also on the show, how is she?
She had her 60th anniversary show, marking six decades in showbusiness, and I came and surprised her on stage in Letterkenny. It was a lovely night.
Sixty years is a long time. You must be so proud of her?
She doesn’t do a lot of concerts, but the ones she does are packed to the rafters. It’s fantastic.
It’s 10 years since you competed on Strictly Come Dancing , how do you look back on your time on the show given the headlines around it this year?
It was the greatest thing ever and it was the most frightening thing ever. I can’t begin to tell you how nervous I was. I thought I was going to die doing it every week. It was an amazing experience. I tuned in to a couple of episodes this year and it hasn’t lost one bit of its excitement. I hope they keep Dancing With The Stars going here in Ireland. It’s equally as good as Strictly , it’s not a poor relation. It’s absolutely super.
You had a positive experience on the show, do you look back fondly?
Oh God, I do. I was terrified though, as I said, and people asked me if I was disappointed when I got voted out. I was like Usain Bolt when I got loose [laughs]. It’s hard to describe the show, it’s like nothing else in the world is happening when you’re dancing.
You were mentioned in the stage show Women On The Verge of HRT . You and Majella went to see it, was it weird being spoken about?
I enjoyed the show. It was strange to see them talking about me. Even when [I was] portrayed in Father Ted , it’s odd as you don’t see yourself as others do.
Did you laugh along with that Eoin McLove character on Father Ted ?
It’s amazing to me to think I could be mentioned on a show like that and that people know who I am.
It’s 22 years since you and Majella wed and longer since you first met in Tenerife. What do you recall from the first time you saw each other?
We seemed to click and there was something different. Everyone says that there’s something different about the person who is right for you. We’re lucky that both of us felt the same way.
Do you feel lucky to be her husband?
I feel blessed. We have a lovely life together and Siobhan and Michael have brought me great joy, as have the grandchildren. I would have had none of that if I hadn’t met Majella. She brought so much in one package.
Do you want to be here in 10 years, celebrating another decade in music?
I don’t know if I will. I don’t think I will go on that long. I will always sing, but I don’t think that I will always tour. I don’t think I’ll keep up touring to this extent. I won’t give it up in the immediate future, but I won’t stay doing what I have been doing.
Through The Years – The Very Best Of Daniel O’Donnell is available to buy and stream now
This interview with Daniel O'Donnell appeared in the December issue of RSVP Magazine
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