Profile of Joe Dolan

It all began with a washboard. And for over 50 years this Irish son sang for the world.

He was born Joseph Thomas Robert Dolan on October 16, 1939 in Mallingar County, Westmeath. Joseph (Joe) was the youngest of eight children.

There was always music in the house and Joe would accompany his sisters singing using a washboard.

Joe's father who was a barber shop owner died when Joe was eight. His mother followed seven years later leaving young Joe in the care of his older brother Ben.

At 15 Joe began an apprenticeship as a newspaper Compositor at the Westmeath Examiner. When the apprenticeship was over instead of immediately finding steady employment at a newspaper office Joe talked his brother Ben and some of his mates Into forming a band. The Drifters Showband.

The band performed cover songs of pop artists from all over the world. The band's first single went to number four on the Irish music charts. For the next 50 years Dick Dolan churned out the hits.

The band went through a number of incarnations both in band members and the name. What began as The Drifters Showband became simply The Drifters; and then Joe Dolan and The Drifters, and finally to Joe Dolan and his band.

Through name and personnel changes Joe kept on and singing churning out hits. He began touring far beyond his native home from Europe to South America and South Africa. Through it all Dolan never forgot his roots.

In 1978 Dolan became the first western performer to play in the Soviet Union when Dolan sang on stage in Moscow while his music sold as bootlegs on the streets. Dolan made a second trip to Moscow and added St. Petersburg at a later date.

Dolan made his North American debut in 1980. Dolan's performances were Las Vegas style show sort of an Irish Wayne Newton. So it was only fitting that Dolan spent two months at Las Vegas headlining At the Silverhead Hotel. Dolan returned to Las Vegas the following year for a six week engagement.

Dolan had his first hit with his band in 1964. When he hit number one in 1998 with a duet, Dolan became the first Irish performer to have hit songs in the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties. The duet itself was also a first in that it was not with another singer but with a puppet named Dustin The Turkey. The song went to number one.

Over the years of his career Dolan had numerous hit songs including a million seller and dozens of albums. He set records and broke down barriers. But he also showed his humorous side when after a hip replacement in 2005 he signed the original hip bone and auctioned it of on eBay for charity. As a result The Keith Duffy Autism Charity received 680 Euros the winning bid for the hip bone.

On Christmas Day Dolan took ill in his home. He died on the following day from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 68.

Joe Dolan, the man has gone but he left us with his music. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said, "he was a fantastic showman and he never forgot his roots."

Dolan, a lifelong bachelor, leaves his record company Gable records and his recording studio at his home town of Mullingar.