Danny O'Donoghue | |
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 O'Donoghue performing withThe Script | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Daniel John Mark Luke O'Donoghue |
| Born | (1980-10-03)3 October 1980 (age 44)[1] Dublin, Ireland |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Sony Music Entertainment |
Daniel John Mark Luke O'Donoghue (born 3 October 1980)[2] is an Irish singer-songwriter best known for being the frontman of the Irishrock bandThe Script and as a coach on the first two series of the television singing talent showThe Voice UK. He was earlier a member of the Irishboy bandMytown.
Danny O'Donoghue was born inDublin, Ireland, to Shay O'Donoghue, a member of the band The Dreams, and Ailish O'Donoghue. He is the youngest of six children and was raised inBallinteer,Dublin.[1] As a child, he was initially against the idea of being a musician; however, he ended up dropping out of school to pursue a musical career.[3]
O'Donoghue was originally a member of a late 1990s band calledMytown with friend (and now also band member of the Script)Mark Sheehan, after being signed toUniversal Records in 1999. After its moderate success, O'Donoghue moved toLos Angeles with Sheehan to write songs and produce for artists such asBritney Spears,Boyz II Men andTLC.[4]
After one year of writing, O'Donoghue and Sheehan moved back to Dublin and, recruiting drummer Glen Power, started working on their own material. They formed the bandthe Script in 2001.[5]
The band released theireponymous debut album on 8 August 2008. O'Donoghue co-wrote all the songs on the album. The album went on to become a commercial success, especially in their home country of Ireland, peaking at number one on theIrish Album Chart.[6] The band has since released six more albums:Science and Faith in September 2010,#3 in September 2012,No Sound Without Silence in September 2014,Freedom Child in September 2017, andSunsets & Full Moons in November 2019.[7] The Script have toured since early March 2013 for their#3 tour in the UK. They performed in some of the UK's largest arenas and cities such Birmingham, London and Manchester.
In 2012 O'Donoghue made his first appearance inThe Voice UK alongsideJessie J,will.i.am andTom Jones as a coach. The decision was supported by bandmates Glen Power and Mark Sheehan, who said: "Danny didThe Voice to put a face to The Script. We know about producing, song writing and performing – we’ve been doing it since we were 14 or 15. Danny on a show about singing was good for us. People saw how passionate he is about music, how much it means to him and it made our band better known."[8] The appointment of O'Donoghue as coach initially drew criticism, with Twitter users branding him "Danny I Dunno Who" and comedianJames Corden joking about it at the2012 BRIT Awards.
O'Donoghue retaliated saying "James who? Whatever. It’s up to other people to make up their own minds. I know I’m on this show for what I’ve done in my career. I’ve spent 15 years in the music industry, it’s all I know."[9] Since then, however, the show has helped contribute to O'Donoghue's popularity, with O'Donoghue stating there was a "big outpouring of love for The Script" but adding that it "could have gone the other way." In the first series, he coachedBo Bruce, who went on to become the runner-up. Since then, she has had moderate success. He was asked to appear as a judge forThe Voice again in 2013 after leading 'Team Danny' to great success.[10] In the second series,Andrea Begley from his team went on to unexpectedly win.
O'Donoghue co-wrote the track "Alive" forBo Bruce's albumBefore I Sleep. On 16 July 2013, O'Donoghue announced he was leaving the show to concentrate on The Script.[11]
O'Donoghue's father, Shay, died of stomachaneurysm on 14 February 2008, at the age of 63. The rose tattoo on O'Donoghue's left arm[12] and the song "If You Could See Me Now" from their album#3 are dedicated to the memory of his father.[citation needed] His mother Ailish, died 8 February 2019.[13][14] In June 2024, O'Donoghue revealed he attendsCatholic Mass daily and gave up on alcohol, smoking and caffeine.[15]
O'Donoghue is a supporter of EnglishPremier League clubManchester United.
O'Donoghue has a brother who lives inMelbourne,Australia.[16]
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