Singer Shaun O’Dowd on being inspired by his mother, the heartbreak he felt when the showband scene started to decline, his bond with family and life in Spain at the age 81
Shaun O’Dowd
Singer Shaun O’Dowd will be well-known to anyone who is a fan of the showband scene.
Originally from Jamestown in Co Leitrim, Shaun fronted the showband Ding-a-Ling, and they achieved roaring success.
But where did it all begin? “My mother was Phyllis Glancy and she had her own band in county Leitrim.
“When I was a kid, my mother used to have the musicians over and rehearsing in the house. I remember being on the floor in the sitting room watching them practise together. My mother was a top class musician and she could sight read music. She would get music sent over from Dublin and London. I’m one of eight children and we were all taught by my father, who was a school teacher in Drumsna,” Shaun told RSVP Country.
“I was in awe of them and the music. I used to sit there staring at them. I can still remember some of the songs.”
Touring with Ding-a-Ling was an amazing experience, he said. “I will never be able to explain how exciting it was, it was an era that will never be touched on again. I was the last of the showband stars to make it. After me came the country music stars.
“Our biggest years were from 1979 to 1982. We played to 10,000 people a week. I told that to Louis Walsh and he asked me if I could prove it. I was able to prove it because my late manager Paddy O’Connell had the diaries.”
Shaun says he had a short run from 1975-1986. “But I only had three enormous years, the years where we were playing to 1,500 to 3,000 people four times a week. That scene will never happen again in Ireland. The ballrooms were dry halls, they had no bars. The dancers that followed us were aged 15-30 and we played modern music like the glamrock stuff and rock ’n’ roll.
Shaun O’Dowd
“It was the equivalent to what Bruno Mars is doing now. It was exciting, energetic and flamboyant. Unfortunately, they didn’t move with the times. We still don’t know what’s to blame for the demise of the big showband days. I would assume it was the hotels coming in with drink licences and putting on discos.”
For Shaun, the highlight of those years was when he was voted best singer in Ireland. “Joe Dolan came second and Red Hurley came third. The record You Are No Angel massively contributed to that in 1981. I performed at a charity concert with Cliff Richard and Sting in the Stardust in Dublin just a month before the tragic fire.”
The decline of the showband scene started in 1982 but Shaun continued to put good money after bad until 1986. “It was really hard to take when it was over. Music and touring was my life and that’s all I ever did since I was a kid. I started in 1967 and I gave a lot of service to the showband world.
Shaun O’Dowd
“I loved every minute of it. I took my career very seriously and there was no messing. I wasn’t a drinker as such and neither were any of my band. Drugs were unheard of in any of the bands I was in.”
Thankfully, Shaun’s health is excellent. “I’m so lucky. I turned 81 on 31 July and I’m living in Spain at the moment. I’m really enjoying life here and I do one gig a week for my friend here. Loads of Irish people come in to see me. I sold up at home. I go back to Ireland for small festivals and weddings, and for the months of January and February.
“I’m doing Stars in the Sun with Red Hurley, Gina and all that crew in Torremolinos next month. The following month I’m doing a spot for Jimmy Buckley. My partner Jean is here with me and my daughter, who is based in London, comes to see us. My other daughter is in Dublin.”
Sadly, a lot of Shaun’s showband friends have passed on. “That begins to worry you at this stage. Is the countdown on? [Laughs]. I roll with punches, I take the good with the bad and I don’t take myself too seriously. I love singing and I make the most of my voice. My body is in good shape and I have good fun.”
This article first appeared in the Autumn issue of RSVP Country.
RSVP Country Magazine cover – Autumn 2025
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