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Listen to Val Doonican, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!

Val Doonican

Adult Contemporary

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Top Songs By Val Doonican

Listen to You Were Always on My Mind by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
You Were Always on My MindVal Doonican
Listen to Delaney's Donkey by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
Delaney's DonkeyVal Doonican
Listen to Paddy McGinty's Goat by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
Paddy McGinty's GoatVal Doonican
Listen to Elusive Butterfly by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
Elusive ButterflyVal Doonican
Listen to The Special Years by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
The Special YearsVal Doonican
Listen to Maggie by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
MaggieVal Doonican
Listen to When a Child Is Born by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
When a Child Is BornVal Doonican
Listen to The Christmas Song by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
The Christmas SongVal Doonican
Listen to Englebert the Elephant by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
Englebert the ElephantVal Doonican
Listen to Katy by Val Doonican, see lyrics, music video & more!
KatyVal Doonican

Latest Release

Listen to The Sun Always Shines When You're Young (Remastered 2024) - Single by Val Doonican
ALBUMThe Sun Always Shines When You're Young (Remastered 2024) - SingleVal Doonican

More albums from Val Doonican

Listen to Christmas Gold by Val Doonican
ALBUMChristmas GoldVal Doonican
Listen to Forever by Val Doonican
ALBUMForeverVal Doonican
Listen to The Val Doonican Christmas Album by Val Doonican
ALBUMThe Val Doonican Christmas AlbumVal Doonican
Listen to Young at Heart by Val Doonican
ALBUMYoung at HeartVal Doonican
Listen to Thank You for the Music by Val Doonican
ALBUMThank You for the MusicVal Doonican
Listen to His Special Years by Val Doonican
ALBUMHis Special YearsVal Doonican
Listen to Reflections by Val Doonican
ALBUMReflectionsVal Doonican

About Val Doonican

Listen to Val Doonican, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Hometown
Waterford, Ireland
Born
February 3, 1927
Genre
Adult Contemporary
Entertainer Val Doonican was sort of an Irish Perry Como. Not terribly hip during the early days of his career in the 1960s when the world's youth were raging over the long-haired Beatles and other rock & rollers, he was still a crooner who appealed to a good segment of the market. If Doonican ever rocked, he rocked in a mellow manner, wearing knitted sweaters and singing softer songs like "If I Were a Carpenter," "Scarlet Ribbons," "He'll Have to Go," and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," as well as such novelties as "O'Rafferty's Motor Car" and "Delaney's Donkey." Despite his un-rock-like persona, the U.K.'s music-buying and television-watching public opened their hearts to Doonican and made a spot for the Irish singer, who first got a shot at stardom in 1963 when he appeared on an ITV program called Sunday Night at the London Palladium. He was so well-received that he was soon hosting his own program. He put out more than 50 albums and continued to chart into the 1970s. His hits included "Elusive Butterfly," "What Would I Be," "The Special Years," and "Walk Tall." Doonican's hometown of Waterford and the Waterford Corporation honored him in 1997 for his half a century as an entertainer. The crooner, who was born Michael Valentine Doonican, was the youngest child among eight siblings. When his father succumbed to mouth and throat cancer, Doonican dropped out of school to go to work. He was employed at a lumberyard and his paycheck contributed to his family's support. During his youth, however, Doonican always arranged and wrote songs. He ended up leaving the lumberyard to work as a drummer in a band, even though he had never before picked up a set of sticks. Half a year later, he was working with Bruce Clarke, this time as a guitar player, and they picked up a gig advertising sausage on the radio. By the early '50s, Doonican moved on to a gig in England with the Four Ramblers. Doonican was married to Lynnette Rae and the couple raised two daughters. He authored two autobiographies, Walking Tall and The Special Years. Val Doonican died at a nursing home in Buckinghamshire, England in July 2015; he was 88 years old. ~ Linda Seida

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Val Doonican has also released music as a member of The Four Ramblers.