Danny Doyle | |
---|---|
Born | Dublin, Ireland | 28 April 1940
Died | 6 August 2019 79) United States | (aged
Genres | Folk |
Occupation | Singer |
Years active | 1960s–1970s |
Daniel Doyle (28 April 1940 – 6 August 2019) [1] was an Irish folk singer born in Dublin. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of the top Irish singers, regularly featuring in the Irish charts and scoring three No.1 singles. He recorded 25 albums and is known for his chart-topping songs "Whiskey on a Sunday", "A Daisy a Day", and "The Rare Auld Times".
He was born in Dublin. [2] After leaving school at the age of fourteen, Doyle started doing odd jobs, including working as general factotum in Dublin's Pike Theatre, where he began to pick up, from the travelling players, songs from the Irish countryside. [2]
During the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of the top Irish singers, regularly featuring in the Irish charts and scoring three No.1 singles. His song "The Rare Auld Times" notably displaced ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me" after just one week at the top. [3] The song was composed in the 1970s by Pete St. John for the Dublin City Ramblers and peaked on the Irish Music Charts for 12 weeks. [4] In 1979 Doyle was the first artist to record St John's song "The Fields of Athenry". He is probably best known for his 1967 number one hit "Whiskey on a Sunday". His other notable works are "A Daisy a Day" and "The Rare Auld Times". [5] The hit songs "A Daisy A Day", "Streets Of London", "Lizzie Lindsay" and "Whiskey On A Sunday" that were released in the 1960s made him popular. [6]
In 1980 he appeared on Thames Television’s “Cooper’s Half Hour” starring comedian Tommy Cooper.
In 1983 he moved to the United States from Ireland. [1]
He appeared in concert throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall, New York and the Albert Hall, London. [5] He also collaborated with Bill Whelan who was a pianist, producer and Riverdance composer. [6]
Although retired from performing, he performed with other artists at the 2010 Milwaukee Irish Fest. [1]
Doyle died on 6 August 2019 at the age of 79 at his residence in the United States. [1] [2] He is survived by his wife Taffy. [1] [2]
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