IRISH crooner Daniel O’Donnell has urged his Scottish fans to listen to the advice coming from leaders during the coronavirus crisis.

The Donegal-born star said it was not a time for anyone to ‘rise out of the pack,’ clearly understanding the urgency of the pandemic which has plunged several countries around the world into lockdown status.

“We have to go with what we are directed to do,” he said.

“This is not a time for people rising out of the pack.

“This is a time to follow the people that know what we are supposed to do and let the leaders lead.

“The people who know and the medical profession let them tell us and let us follow.”

Glasgow Times:

Daniel was speaking ahead of his scheduled performance at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow on Friday, October 9, and while we don’t know where we will be, come that date, the one thing the singer promises is a Scottish show.

“It is absolute essential that things are cancelled,” he said.

“If we go forward and things haven’t improved by October and it has to be cancelled, we will have another time to gather.”

Glasgow Times:

The star, who is affectionately called Our Daniel, is widely regarded as a cultural icon having wowed his fans since his career began in the early 1980s.

His fanbase grew in Scotland thanks to Daniel touring here from the very start.

“The first place I was advertised was for Glasgow,” he said with a smile in his voice.

He then rhymes off, “The Irish Centre on Coplaw Street, the Square Bar in the Barras and Claddagh Club in Westmoreland Street. That was back in 1983 so that was back a long long way. That was the first time I was ever advertised.”

His connection to Scotland was forged at an early age thanks to his family who were largely based here.

As a young boy, he travelled around his relatives' homes during the summer, and it is a memory he still cherishes to this day.

“I suppose there is a big connection especially with Donegal and Scotland,” he said.

“I have a lot of relations throughout Scotland. My father had two brothers in Perth and two sisters and a brother in Edinburgh. My mother had a brother in Edinburgh.

“I used to go over at the end of my summer holidays. I used to work in a local shop here. I would start off in Glasgow and stay in Bath Street with my mother’s cousins Mary Brown and her sister Bridie. That was very central with Sauchiehall Street just behind you.

“I would go up to the Sacred Heart for mass and just view all the different places around like Argyle Street. I know Glasgow well.”

He added: Then I got the train up to Edinburgh, go up to Callander to relations of mine then finish up in Perth. 

“My parents – my mother and father – after they got married, they lived in Forfar for a few years.”

Glasgow Times:

His love of Scotland is perhaps one of the reasons why Daniel has been able to connect with his Scottish fans more than most so much so he becomes the hottest ticket in town whenever he plays.

“It is just amazing that people go to these lengths to get a ticket,” he said.

“I suppose from my point of view it is very humbling that they would do it.

“But you know I have got to know an awful lot of the people down through the years.

“Many times people will say to me after the show, ‘we have been coming for 30 years or we have been coming more than that’. It is fantastic.”

Part of the reason for Daniel attracting audiences is he constantly delivers to his fans.

With an album planned for release in October, the 58-year-old has a very special accolade. In 2012, he became the first artist to have a different album in the British charts every year for 25 consecutive years. While his mashed-up sound of country and Irish folk music has also enabled him to sell over ten million records to date.

“The people are great who put them in the charts. I have had an album in the charts in the UK every year since 1988. That is people power that does that," he beamed.

Glasgow Times:

While as a proud member of the Strictly alumni – Daniel competed in the hit BBC show in 2015, Daniel admits that although he is confident about his music, his dancing is something that clearly brings on the nerves.

He laughed: “Strictly was fantastic. It was the best and worst thing ever in my life.

“God! When you were standing in the theatre, hearing your name called out…I used to think, ‘aww I am going to die,’ “How am I going to do this?”

And when asked if he still takes those moves on the road, he simply replied: “I don’t know how good the moves are.”

Catch Daniel O'Donnell at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow on Friday, October 9.

For tickets, visit http://bit.ly/DanielODonnellUKTour