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Script’s Danny in ‘hell of a year’ as bandmates deal with grief Singer’s concerns over eight-storey hotel plans in heart of historic district
Danny O’donoghue
THE Script’s Danny O’donoghue has revealed he “went off the rails” following the death of his mother – and he urged other men to open up about grief.
As the Dublin band worked on their new album, the lead singer was grieving for his mother Ailish, who died suddenly in February following a brain haemorrhage.
And the band are now releasing their new album Sunsets & Full Moons in the midst of grief with drummer Glen Power also losing his father in September.
Speaking on The Late Late Show on Friday, 39-year-old Danny said the band has had a “hell of a year”.
He told host Ryan Tubridy: “We’ve had a hell of a year from, you know, break-ups to the births of children to the deaths of parents.”
CARE
Danny decided to leave the all-star judging panel of The Voice after its second series to care for his mother.
He said: “I was on The Voice. I was a judge on The Voice, and I was on the second season and our star was really rising.
“But my mum had a brain haemorrhage and we just closed the castle gates around her.
“So I came off the television and we closed everything off around her.”
Danny and his family buried Ailish on Valentine’s Day, on the 10th anniversary of his father’s funeral.
And the frontman said his grief brought him to a very dark place – but refused to reveal too many details.
He added: “I went off the rails grieving for my own mum.”
Host Ryan asked, “How did you go off the rails?” and Danny replied, “Ah, just... You don’t want to know.
“Just going off the rails. Turning to drink, just wanting to forget about everything, just wanting to really blot it all out. I went to a very dark place.”
The Script with Ryan Tubridy
The proposed building
The 45-year-old singer, from the Liberties in Dublin, said she loves to return to the historic district but admitted she is “nervous” over a controversial eight-storey structure planned for the area.
The proposed high-rise hotel and co-living project has raised concerns locally amid fears it will be detrimental to the community.
Imelda said: “If I’m honest, it makes me nervous. I love new blood coming into any area, I think it’s healthy for a place.
“I love the people and I love this area but I just worry a little bit that if it doesn’t go well they’ll pack up and move out.
“Because people who are from here, you’re with this place through thick and thin.
“It is a community and the only way for the place to work well for anybody is to become part of a community.
“And then you get the support of the locals and you support the locals also.
“I think that’s important.”
Meanwhile, the singer said she would love to start up her own fashion range – as the former Rockabilly star prepares for another style transformation. Imelda, who ditched her trademark quiff five years ago for a sultry fringe, revealed she’s planning on switching up her look yet again. The mum of one added: “It’s probably time I changed it [image] again. “It’s just like anything really, if you get stuck. I don’t think it’s healthy for any person to stay the same for the rest of their lives.” The Johnny Got A Boom Boom hitmaker also admitted she would like to start her own fashion range. She said: “I wouldn’t rule anything out. Not because I want to do everything, but anything that is artistically-based interests me. “I have a massive interest in art of all kinds, and then once I get swept up by something, I’m away and it excites me. “So I’d love to try something, sure why not? I mean we only live once.” Imelda, who co-hosted with Jools Holland on his BBC music show last week, said she’d love her own radio show to promote new artists. She revealed she was halfway through her next album as she returned to her beloved hometown for a gig. Imelda said her daughter Violet, seven, is following in her footsteps and has started writing music. She added: “She loves my new stuff but her taste is changing.” news@irishmirror.ie
Singer performing last week