Michael Valentine Doonican

From Wikipedia:

Michael Valentine Doonican (3 February 1927 – 2 July 2015) was an Irish singer, of traditional pop music and swing who was well known for his novelty stylised songs. From 1965 to 1986 he was a regular fixture on the BBC Television's schedule with The Val Doonican Show, which featured his own singing performances and a variety of guest artists. The TV shows were produced by Yvonne Littlewood. A relaxed crooner, Doonican had five successive Top 10 albums in the UK Albums Chart in the swinging sixties.[1]

Early life

Doonican was born in Waterford, Ireland, the youngest of the eight children of Agnes (née Kavanagh) and John Doonican. In 1941 when he was a teenager his father died, so he had to leave De La Salle College, Waterford to get factory jobs fabricating steel and making orange and grapefruit boxes.[2] In the early days, legendary Dublin music magnate Sean Smyth toured with Val around Ireland. Smyth was a major player in the showband scene and was managing the Clipper Carltons at the time.

Singing career

Doonican was from a musical family and began to perform in his hometown and in a summer season at Courtown Harbour. He soon featured on Irish radio and appeared in Waterford's first-ever television broadcast. Then he played the drums in a band on a tour through Ireland. In 1951 he moved to England to join The Four Ramblers, who toured and performed on BBC Radio shows broadcast from factories.

Doonican met dancer Lynnette Rae, his first love, when both she and the Ramblers supported Anthony Newley on tour. Newley introduced them, and the couple married in the early 1960s and had two daughters, Sarah and Fiona, and two grandchildren, Bethany and Scott.[2]

Doonican sang with the group The Four Ramblers and appeared regularly on BBC radio including The Raiders of the Range series. Recognising his talent, Newley persuaded him to leave the singing group and go solo. Soon after his solo career started, he had his own radio show as well as performing in concerts and cabaret. In 1963 he was booked to appear on Sunday Night at the Palladium. As a result of this performance, Bill Cotton, then Assistant Head of Light Entertainment, offered him his own show on BBC Television, which lasted for over 20 years. It featured his relaxed crooner style, sitting in a rocking chair wearing cardigans or jumpers, performing a number of comic Irish songs including "Paddy McGinty's Goat", "Delaney's Donkey", and "O'Rafferty's Motor Car", on which he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. Doonican's songs about O'Rafferty were popular enough for the BBC to publish a book, Val Doonican Tells The Adventures of O'Rafferty, which retold five of the tales, in 1969.[3] He was sometimes compared to American singer Perry Como, though he has claimed his main influence was Bing Crosby.[4] As it was a variety show, it gave a number of other performers early exposure, such as Dave Allen. On 31 December 1976, Doonican performed his hit song "What Would I Be" on BBC1's A Jubilee of Music, celebrating British pop music for Queen Elizabeth II's impending Silver Jubilee.

The Palladium performance also kick-started his recording career. Between 1964 and 1973 Doonican was rarely out of the UK Singles Chart, his greatest successes including the singles "Walk Tall", "The Special Years", "Elusive Butterfly", "What Would I Be", (on Decca) "If The Whole World Stopped Loving" (Pye), and "Morning" (Philips); and the albums 13 Lucky Shades of Val Doonican (Decca), and Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently (Pye) which reached Number 1 in the UK Albums Chart in 1967. The 1966 single release "Elusive Butterfly" reached a UK chart peak of #5[5] and #3 in Ireland. His 1968 album Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently knocked the Beatles' Sgt Pepper off the top of the albums chart.[6]

A long-standing friend of the singer Sandy Denny, in 1970 Doonican was present at the recording of the Led Zeppelin track "The Battle of Evermore", contributing to the song's Gaelic-influenced backing harmonies.[7] After a spell with Philips records in the seventies he also recorded for RCA.[1] He also sang the theme song to the film Ring of Bright Water.

In the United States, The Val Doonican Show aired on ABC during Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m. (7:30 pm. Central) from 5 June to 14 August 1971.[8] Regulars included Bernard Cribbins, Bob Todd, the Norman Maen Dancers, the Mike Sammes Singers, and the Kenny Woodman Orchestra. Both American and British acts appeared on the show.

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1970. Eamonn Andrews met him at the 18th green of the South Herts Golf Club as Doonican played a round of golf.[9]

Later life and death

Doonican lived at Knotty Green in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.[10] He stopped performing in 2009,[11] and enjoyed spending his free time in Spain, where he had a second home. He was a keen golfer and a talented watercolour painter. Another hobby he enjoyed was cooking. In June 2011, Doonican was recognised by the Mayor of Waterford, bestowing on him "The Freedom of the City". Doonican died at a nursing home in Buckinghamshire on 2 July 2015, aged 88. He had not been ill. His daughter Sarah told The Guardian: "Until 87, he was as fit as a flea. It was just old age, I’m afraid – the batteries ran out."[6]

Leading tributes to Doonican, fellow entertainer Bruce Forsyth said, "It is very sad. He was always a lovely man to work with... He was a very warm person, and number one in his field. He brought a lovely warmth with his personality and was a very popular man." Elaine Paige commented on Twitter, "Sad to hear of Val Doonican's passing ... RIP Val", while BBC disc-jockey Tony Blackburn said "So sad to hear that Val Doonican has passed away. He was a lovely man and a true professional who I worked with on several TV shows R.I.P."[12]

In popular culture

He is cited as a member of the eclectic (and fictional) "orchestra" in The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's recording, "The Intro and the Outro", credited "as himself". He had a great gift for telling humorous stories about his life and show-business in general. As well as writing three autobiographies he also produced another book entitled The Stories of O'Rafferty.
Doonican's 1965 song, "I'm Gonna Get There Somehow", has been used in adverts for Irish toy store Smyths. Since 2006 his name also been used by the Barnsley comedy-folk band The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican.

Discography

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions UK IRE AU 1964 "Walk Tall" 3 2 29 1965 "The Special Years" 7 2 71 "I'm Gonna Get There Somehow" 25 - - 1966 "Elusive Butterfly" 5 3 - "What Would I Be" 2 3 26 1967 "If The Whole World Stopped Loving" 3 2 81 "Memories Are Made of This" 11 14 - "Two Streets" 39 - - 1968 "You're The Only One" 37 - - "Now" 43 - - "If I Knew Then What I Know Now" 14 - - 1968 "Ring of Bright Water" 48 - - 1970 "Too Many Times" - - 82 1971 "Ann" - - 95 1972 "Morning" 12 5 75 1973 "Heaven Is My Woman's Love" 34 - -

References

^ Jump up to: a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 166. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Val Doonican Biography". Valdoonican.com. 3 February 1927. Retrieved 5 February 2013. Jump up ^ General Publication (PDF). BBC Yearbook. 1969. p. 215. Retrieved 24 July 2014.(PDF) Jump up ^ Val Doonican: The Special Years Jump up ^ Val Doonican, "Elusive Butterfly" UK chart position Retrieved May 9, 2015 ^ Jump up to: a b Furness, Hannah. "Val Doonican dies age 88". Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2015. Jump up ^ Interview, RTE, October 14th, 1971 Jump up ^ "Programming" (PDF). Broadcasting. 29 March 1971. p. 76. Retrieved 24 July 2014.(PDF) Jump up ^ "This Is Your Life-Val Doonican". bigredbook.com. 6 May 1970. Retrieved 24 July 2014. Jump up ^ Abell, Jack (2 July 2015). "Beaconsfield singer Val Doonican dies". get bucks. Retrieved 2 July 2015. Jump up ^ "The Val Doonican Website". Valdoonican.com. Retrieved 5 February 2013. Jump up ^ "Brucie leads tributes to Doonican". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2015. Other sources[edit] Legends - Val Doonican, (BBC Four), December 2007 Brooks, T. and Marsh, E. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (1998)

External links

Val Doonican at the Internet Movie Database Val Doonican's appearance on This Is Your Life Val Doonican biography at AllMusic website