Irish crooner heads to Summerside
Daniel O’Donnell performs Sept. 26 at Credit Union Place
For years I’ve listened to my friend Joan Maillet talk enthusiastically about Daniel O’Donnell.
She loves his wit and his charming ability to bond with audience members.
“He makes everyone feel special.”
Maillet also enjoys the way he dresses and his musical repertoire.
In fact, the Moncton resident enjoys his music so much that once she drove two hours to Fredericton to hear him perform classic song like “Danny Boy” and “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen”, backed up by a live band.
So when I heard that the Irish crooner was coming to Credit Union Place in Summerside on Tuesday, Sept. 26, with his Back Home Again Tour, I decided to explore the Irish singer.
The first thing I discover is, it’s O’Donnell’s first show on P.E.I. In fact, it will be the first time he’ll step on red soil.
“Usually the closest I get is Halifax, so it’s nice to come over to where you are,” says O’Donnell, during a telephone interview.
“I live in a very rural part of Ireland so very often we have to travel to see (a concert performer). But, occasionally, something comes close to where we live and it’s a great event then when people take the time to visit. So I hope that’s what people (on P.E.I.) will think. I hope they’ll come,” says O’Donnell.
O’Donnell burst into stardom in the U.S. and Canada back in 2002 with his first PBS special, “The Daniel O’Donnell Show”. That started a special relationship between the singer and the
public broadcaster. Since them, he has gone on to record 13 more specials, with “Back Home Again” being the 14th one in 2016. The concert will also feature O’Donnell’s long-term singing partner Mary Duff.
“Right now country music is huge in Ireland. And the more traditional country is even more popular. So along with the Irish music and the ballads, I will be singing some country songs.”
At the show, there will be CDs and DVDs for sale.
His PBS release was “Stand beside Me”, a concert celebration of Irish, country, gospel, rock, movie and long-time Daniel O’Donnell favourites. The title track is not only a popular among music lovers, it also reflects O’Donnell’s belief that fans throughout his more than 15 years on PBS have brought him to where he is today, standing beside him making his career a success.
O’Donnell hopes that his first concert on P.E.I. will be a success.
“I enjoy singing and the interaction with people. I get so much out of it myself. Every show is like a new show. It’s always refreshing.”