Of course, one of Ireland’s most precious residents was the iconic Joe Dolan. He’s a person we often hear about. So, sit tight, and we’ll tell you exactly why he was and still is so popular.
Despite his death in 2007, Joe lives on to be one of the greatest entertainers that Ireland has ever seen.
He dazzled audiences with his voice and big band sound throughout the decades, allowing his fans to let their hair down.
Keep reading to find out why they said, “there’s no show like a Joe show”.
10. Fans could let their hair down – the star of the dance halls
Joe rose to fame during the dance hall days, and he dominated them.
Trips to the dance halls were a real chance for fans to let their hair down, and the inclusion of Joe Dolan to that allowed them to let loose even further.
9. An international superstar – a success overseas
Joe was so famous that, in the 80s, he did an extended run in The Silverbird Hotel in Las Vegas.
So successful was his first two-month run that he did a further six weeks the following year. He was prominent in Vegas and even more significant in our hearts.
8. He gave it all to his fans – which is why there’s no show like a Joe show
Joe Dolan went above and beyond for his fans. And when we say he offered it all to them, we mean it.
When he had a hip replacement, his hip bone was auctioned off for an autism charity. Superfan Maggie Keating bought it for a whopping €650, and Dolan even signed it for her.
Now that’s serious fandom.
7. A ladies man – the women loved him
Who wouldn’t be weak for Joe singing the opening lines of ‘You’re Such a Good Looking Woman?’
“When God created a woman for me, he must have been in a beautiful mood, to show the world what a woman could be when he created a woman like you”. No wonder the women loved him.
He even re-recorded the song with another ladies’ man in the 90s, Dustin the Turkey, opening his vocals to a whole new generation of Joe Dolan fans.
6. Hit after hit – fans knew every word
Joe Dolan is the only Irish musician to have had a number one hit in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
It would be rare to find someone at a show who didn’t know every word to his songs. If that doesn’t tell you that there’s no show like a Joe show, then we don’t know what will.
5. Those white suits – no Joe show was complete without them
Joe had a very distinct sense of fashion that the fans cherished. No Joe show was complete without the definitive Joe Dolan white suit.
The style was so desired that many would try to mimic the style at his concerts in his honour.
4. Not afraid to explore new avenues – a man who could move with the times
Joe’s career spanned several decades. In the 90s, he decided to release Joe’s 90s, including songs by bands such as Blur and Oasis.
The songwriters he covered had great praise for him. At Oxegen 2009, Damon Albarn of Blur dedicated his song ‘The Universal’ to Dolan.
Even the famous star of Gorillaz fame understands that there’s no show like a Joe show.
3. That big band sound – a famous sound of the times
The showband sound was a style favoured in Ireland from the mid-50s to the late 80s, and Joe Dolan welcomed this sound with open arms.
From the 60s, he would tour the dance hall circuit with his showband, The Drifters. Once he reached international success, he would often return and perform the rotation to sold-out halls, never forgetting his roots.
2. His fans were like family – they’d follow him from venue to venue
The Joe Dolan fan group were undoubtedly like a big family.
Joe was so familiar with his fans that he got banned for two years from Aer Lingus for refusing to take his seat on the plane as he was talking to his fans.
His fans loved him, and he returned that love ten-fold. No wonder they said there’s no show like a Joe show.
1. Lovely lingerie – a Joe show wasn’t complete without knickers
Joe was so desired that women would always throw their knickers onto the stage for him.
It became so common that lingerie became synonymous with the singer. You couldn’t have a Joe show without a few pairs of knickers thrown onstage in his honour. Gas altogether.
