My Country Life

SUSAN McCann is Ireland’s First Lady of Country, and in part two of her life story here on the Sunday World podcast My Country Life, the legendary singer recalls performing on the same Florida festival with Garth Brooks, while he was then on his journey to becoming a country music superstar. Susan talks about her meeting with Garth at that event in 1991, and tells how he was trying to achieve the same chart success in the UK as our own Daniel O’Donnell. “Garth Brooks was in the changing room right next to us,” Susan recalls. “And we chatted…he wasn’t even known in Ireland at the time. He knew Daniel O’Donnell. He had released a record in England and had been over to do a promotion on his album. “He said, ‘Do you know that guy, Daniel O’Donnell?’ Sure I knew Daniel very well. He used to call to the house when he was starting up. So I said, ‘Of course I know him.’ “Daniel had three albums in the UK charts at the time. ‘I can’t even get one,’ Garth said, ‘that man has three!’ He laughed about it.” Now listen here to Susan telling many more behind-the-scenes stories from her career in country music, her life amid the The Troubles in Northern Ireland…and why her favourite title today is Grandma…

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SHE’S Ireland’s First Lady of Country and Susan McCann has had a remarkable life in music, performing everywhere from the marquee in her native Forkhill, South Armagh, to Nashville’s famous Grand Ole Opry. As Susan tells it, she came from humble beginnings growing up among a family of 11 in a two-bed house with no electricity or running water. Starting off as the singer in her local céili band, at one point money was so tight for the future star she says she couldn’t afford the ticket price to see Philomena Begley performing. However, in 1977 Susan shot to fame in Ireland when she had a smash hit with a song called Big Tom Is Still The King. “If it wasn’t for Big Tom I might never have made it,” Susan says today. In Nashville, Susan was embraced by Porter Wagoner, the singer and TV presenter who gave Dolly Parton her big break, and who inspired her song, I Will Always Love You. She recorded several albums in Nashville with musicians who’d played on some of her favourite American country music records, including Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette. Here, in My Country Life, Susan talks about her childhood, her rise to stardom and meeting the love of her life.

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SHE'S Ireland’s Queen of Country and at the age of 80 Philomena Begley says she has no intention of relinquishing her title anytime soon. As we speak, Philomena is celebrating an incredible 60 years in showbusiness and here on 'My Country Life' she says that singing and performing is the drug that keeps her young at heart. Philomena talks about her early life growing up in the Co Tyrone village of Pomeroy, picking potatoes and cutting turf as part of her childhood chores. She recalls how she left school at 15 to work in a hat factory and fell into a music career by chance at the age of 20 when a friend dared her to get up and sing with a local band. That performance would see her go on to join the group and become a star in her own right with hits such as Truck Drivin’ Woman, Queen of the Silver Dollar and Blanket On The Ground. She recorded in Nashville, performed at the Grand Ole Opry and was one of the stars of the Wembley Country Music Festival in London. Here, Philomena also talks about her friendship with Daniel O’Donnell and that hilarious video in bed with Nathan Carter.

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HERE in part two of The Joe Dolan Story, his brother Ben takes us inside their life on the road and the early days of ‘Driftermania’. He tells how Joe became an international star after performing on BBC’s iconic Top Of The Pops with his first major hit, Make Me An Island. This would lead to tours of South Africa, Israel, Russia and all over Europe. Ben takes us to Las Vegas where Joe tried his luck in the gambling capital of the world. He also reveals how Joe was attacked in Liverpool in the early days and suffered a horrific beating. And Ben recalls his brother’s final days and the heartbreaking events of St Stephen’s Day 2007 when Ireland lost one of its greatest and much-loved entertainers.

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Joe Dolan was one of Ireland’s greatest ever entertainers. He was our Elvis Presley. Our first pop star. Joe performed on BBC’s Top Of The Pops, toured the world as an international star, played in Las Vegas and had a string of hits that included The Answer To Everything, Make Me An Island, Lady In Blue and Good Looking Woman. One man who stood alongside him for almost 50 years as a performer was his older brother, Ben Dolan. Here, in a two-part My Country Life podcast as we reach the 15th anniversary of Joe’s death, Ben shares his personal family memories of growing up with Joe in their native Mullingar and recalls their early adventures as musicians.

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Here in part two of our My Country Life podcast with Margo, Ireland’s Queen of Country & Irish recalls her many struggles in life, including a personal battle with alcoholism back in the day. Margo opens up about her regret at never becoming a mother and reveals that she still carries a torch for her first love who remains a friend and gave her a personal gift on her 70th birthday – with the blessing of his wife. The legendary singer tells how she lost out on an estimated fortune of €17 million throughout her career before winning back the rights to her recordings in a court case. She also shares the inside story of her close friendship with American country music legend Dolly Parton and pays tribute to her brother, Daniel O’Donnell.

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She’s the Queen of Country & Irish music, and Margo O’Donnell has had a remarkable life. Long before the world heard of her little brother Daniel O’Donnell, Margo was topping the charts and performing to thousands of fans in dance halls all over Ireland. Margo also won the hearts of Irish emigrants in Britain and Ireland in the ‘60s and ‘70s with her poignant songs from their homeland. Here in part one of a two-part My Country Life podcast, Margo recalls her early years growing up as young Margaret O’Donnell in Kincasslagh, Co Donegal. She tells of her childhood years working as a tattie hoaker (potato picker) on farms in Scotland. And she reveals how a promise to her father on his death bed led to her becoming a professional singer at the age of 16.

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TODAY, he manages the career of Irish country music superstar Daniel O’Donnell, but former New Blues showband guitarist Kieran Cavanagh has had a remarkable life in his own right. While in his 20s, Kieran set out to bring some of the biggest stars in American country music to Ireland, starting with the greatest of them all – Johnny Cash. Here, on My Country Life, the Co Sligo-born impresario shares his many personal behind-the-scenes stories from his time with icons such as ‘The Man in Black’, Glen Campbell and Tom T Hall. Kieran also reveals a bizarre run-in with rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry while staging his show at Dublin’s National Stadium in the 1980s. And speaking just weeks before the death of Jerry Lee Lewis, he tells the amazing story of how he took over management of ‘The Killer’ back in the 1990s and helped him to clear a $1 million tax bill in America.

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Declan Nerney has lived a charmed life, from playing in bands with some of Ireland’s biggest country music stars, including Gene Stuart and Brian Coll, to meeting his idol Johnny Cash. Here, in My Country Life, Declan recalls how he dreamed of a life in showbusiness watching the big stars playing local marquee dances in his native Drumlish, Co Longford. He tells how he became a guitar player in a band while still in secondary school and recalls performing in Cork the night before his Leaving Cert maths exam. Now one of the legends of the Irish country music scene, Declan also tells the inside story of how his young niece and goddaughter Una Healy was a big part of his life as she grew up and he recalls his pride at seeing her become a major star when she found fame with all-girl pop sensations The Saturdays.

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FATHER Brian D’Arcy is chaplain to the world of Irish showbusiness and has been a friend and confidante to our entertainers since the 1960s. A columnist with the Sunday World for 46 years, Fr Brian has led a remarkable life and here we focus on his interactions with Irish and international music stars from the showbands to the world of country music. Here, in part two of Fr Brian’s story, he recalls his personal encounters with American country superstars such as Johnny Cash, Charley Pride and Kris Kristofferson, and shares his fond memories of Irish entertainers including Joe Dolan and Brendan Bowyer. Fr Brian recalls how he had to break the shocking news to Kris Kristofferson, minutes before he was due to perform on a Dublin stage, that his daughter was in a critical condition after an accident back home in America. Fr Brian also tells how Johnny Cash would have him pray with the family before his shows. And one of the most traumatic periods in Fr Brian’s life, he says, was in July 1975 when he had to officiate at the funerals of five Irish entertainers in one week, including those murdered in the Miami Showband massacre.

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FATHER Brian D’Arcy is chaplain to the world of Irish showbusiness and has been a friend and confidante to our entertainers since the 1960s. A columnist with the Sunday World for 46 years, Fr Brian has led a remarkable life and has been at the centre of many major events in Ireland throughout the decades. On our My Country Life podcast with Eddie Rowley, we focus on his life through music, and Fr Brian takes us back to the heyday of the showbands. Here in part one of his interview, Fr Brian also talks about his childhood, tells how his parents tried to talk him out of joining the priesthood and recalls the dark days of his early years as a novice priest.

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Irish country music star Michael English first came to national prominence as a child performing on the Late Late Toy Show. This would lead to The Boy Wonder being inundated with offers of work and landing his first gig supporting showband legend Dickie Rock while still in school. A chance meeting with Henry McMahon of Big Tom’s band The Mainliners would later set him on the road to success as a country singer …scoring his first big hit with Henry’s song, The Nearest To Perfect. Here in our My Country Life podcast, Michael takes a trip back in time, recalling Friday night trad sessions in the family home and the sacrifices his parents made to foster their only son’s career. He talks about working with Louis Walsh, singing for Bono, his love for the fans, his last days with his beloved mother…and the passion that drives his career.

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Country music star Mike Denver started out in life as a plumber and worked on the buildings with his father before his career in entertainment took off. In My Country Life, Mike from Portumna, Co. Galway, takes us on his incredible journey that began the day he received a phone call that changed his life. Starting out singing in pubs, Mike would go on to record in Nashville with one of his major idols, American country music legend George Jones. Back home in Ireland, Denver reignited the country music scene and brought in a new wave of young fans – making him one of the biggest attractions on the scene. Here, Mike also opens the door to his personal world, recalling how he met and married the love of his life. He reveals how the pandemic gave him the chance to bond with his daughter as a first-time dad, and tells how fatherhood has changed his attitude to life.

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Liverpool-born of Irish descent, Nathan Carter has become a country music superstar in Ireland – having shot to fame with a song called Wagon Wheel. He’s the biggest music sensation on the country scene since Daniel O’Donnell first made an impact in the 1980s. Here, in My Country Life, Nathan takes us on a journey through his life growing up in Liverpool and his childhood holidays based around the Fleadh Cheoils in Ireland. He recalls his appearance on BBC’s Top Of The Pops and his early performances supporting Irish country stars such as Big Tom, Mike Denver and Jimmy Buckley. Nathan tells about working on the buildings with his father and pays tribute to the powerhouse woman behind his early success – his grannie Ann McCoy. He also recalls the shock of losing his friend and mentor Nicky James, and reveals why he’s in no hurry to settle down and become a dad.

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Jimmy Buckley is one of Ireland’s biggest country music stars, both in his own right and as a member of supergroup The Three Amigos. Here, in My Country Life, Jimmy tells how his success is the realisation of a childhood dream when he used to sing into the head of a sweeping brush on stage in a former ballroom at the rear of his family home, imagining an adoring audience in front of him. He recalls how he first came to national prominence when he won a talent contest on the RTE TV show, Secrets, hosted by the late Gerry Ryan. Jimmy also reveals that his struggles in the early days brought him to the brink of failure. And he tells how he turned his life around with a song called Your Wedding Day and met the love of his life on a RyanAir flight.

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American-born Robert Mizzell from Shreveport, Louisiana, is now one of Ireland’s biggest country music stars in his own right and as a member of The Three Amigos with Patrick Feeney and Jimmy Buckley. Here in part two of his life story, Robert tells Eddie Rowley how he achieved success on the Irish country scene after working in a string of jobs, from selling “mops and buckets” to insurance and pensions. He remembers working as a bouncer at a Boyzone concert and reveals that Louis Walsh turned him down as a manager. And he tells how he performed as a contestant on Gerry Ryan’s Let Me Entertain You TV talent show along his rocky road to success. Robert also remembers his last poignant recording with his father, Richard, who died from Covid in January 2021. And he reveals the romantic story of finding true love with his wife Adele.

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Robert Mizzell has climbed the ranks of the Irish country music scene to become one of our biggest stars as a solo artist and member of supergroup The Three Amigos. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, he spent most of his childhood in foster care as a result of abuse and neglect in the family home. The abuse might have led to a dark, troubled, dead-end adult life for Robert had social services not put him into the care of the foster parents he still calls Mama and Papa Courtney. Here, in the first of a two-part interview with Eddie Rowley, Robert talks about his turbulent childhood and tells how a stint in the American army also shaped his life. He reveals how falling in love with an Irish woman led to him moving to Ireland 30 years ago at the age of 20, and he tells the personal story of his four-times-married father Richard, who died from Covid in January 2021.

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Patrick Feeney is one of Ireland’s top country singers, both as a solo artist and as a member of supergroup The Three Amigos with Robert Mizzell and Jimmy Buckley. As he started out in the adult world, Patrick turned down a Garda career to pursue his passion for singing, eventually turning professional after a brief stint as a sales rep. Here in My Country Life, Patrick takes us back to his childhood and recalls how his father’s influence as a farmer and musician has shaped his own life. He remembers the support he received from Daniel O’Donnell when he launched his band. He reveals the devastating health issues that threatened to put him in a wheelchair and end his career. And Patrick tells the uplifting story of finding love in lockdown, thanks to Tinder.

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Derek Ryan started out in life as a pop star in the early Noughties with teen idols D-Side. With hits including Real World, he performed on the BBC’s iconic Top Of The Pops TV chart show and played major venues such as London’s Wembley Arena and Dublin’s Point Theatre, now the 3Arena. However, when D-Side eventually fizzled out, Derek found himself struggling to make ends meet playing the pubs in London. Now one of Ireland’s top country singers and a prolific songwriter, here on My Country Life, Derek now recalls his idyllic childhood growing up in Milltown, Garryhill, Co Carlow, and his rollercoaster ride in the fast lane of pop music. He reveals how seeing Nathan Carter performing was a turning point in his career, and he recalls the pain of losing his beloved mum, Sally, who inspired his poignant song, To Waltz With My Mother Again.

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As she gets set to launch a tribute concert tour to her idol, Cliona talks about the impact the American country legend has had on her career. Cliona also tells us about the other influential and supportive women who have helped to shape her life - her mum Claire and late grandmother ‘Granny McCuskey.’ She recalls her very first TV appearance as a 12-year-old schoolgirl singing on The Late Late Toy Show. And she reveals how Majella O’Donnell encouraged her to become a country singer while mentoring her on a TV show. Cliona also tells how she found love with Irish musician Simon Sheerin – and recalls his romantic lakeside proposal.

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Irish country music superstar Daniel O’Donnell has lived a charmed life, achieving fame and wealth beyond anything he ever imagined in a glittering career spanning 40 years. However, as he revealed in part one of his interview with My Country Life, success didn’t come easy. The boy from Donegal had a tough struggle along his journey – once playing with his band to an audience of just six people! Here in part two, Daniel takes up the story as his career finally takes off in 1986 and he goes on to perform in some of the world’s most iconic venues. He recalls the breakdown of his health and his return to the spotlight in 1992. He tells of his friendship with personal idols including Loretta Lynn and Cliff Richard. And he talks about his love for Majella, their happy life together – and how being a grandad has been the greatest joy of all.

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Irish country music superstar Daniel O’Donnell has lived a charmed life, achieving fame and wealth beyond anything he ever imagined in a glittering career spanning 40 years. He has performed at iconic venues around the globe, from The Point (3Arena) in Dublin to London’s Royal Albert Hall, Sydney’s Opera House and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Daniel has had more albums in the British charts than any other recording artist – and Prince Charles presented him with an MBE for his services to music and charity. It’s an astonishing true-life success story that’s the stuff of movies – and it all began in the fishing village of Kincasslagh, Co. Donegal and on near-by Owey Island. Here, in the first of a two-part interview with Eddie Rowley, Daniel takes us back to his humble origins in Kincasslagh and on Owey, recalling the people and places that shaped his life. And he recounts his early struggles to find success as a singer.

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My Country Life, with Eddie Rowley, is a podcast series that takes you backstage and into the real lives of Irish country music's kings and queens. Each episode in this series features a well-known star opening the doors to their past and taking us on their personal journey into the spotlight. Along the way, they reveal their highs and lows, happiness and heartaches and their struggle to find success. Meet legends like Daniel O'Donnell and Jimmy Buckley, as well as young stars like Nathan Carter and Cliona Hagan as they recall the great music and great stories on their road to stardom.

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