Margo and dolores may record duet

TWO of Ireland’s most iconic female singing stars for decades who have battled, and beaten, demons such as drink, as well as dealing with ill health, Margo O’Donnell and Dolores Keane, may soon get together to record a duet.
Margo is following in the footsteps of Dolores by returning to the concert stage next Sunday week, October 26, for a show at the Salthill Hotel. It was on that same stage that Dolores had some of her biggest triumphs last summer and Margo says that singer-songwriter Michael English has written a duet which might be suitable for the two to record.
“Dolores and I are kinda’ talking about doing this song as a duet single. The song that Michael wrote about Dolores and myself is both amazing and haunting and I will be singing the first verse in tribute to Dolores.”
When asked to elaborate on the song’s lyrics Margo bursts into singing the first two lines:
“Galway Bay was far away in 1951. (The year Margo was born)
Mam and Dad were all I had and my big brother John.”
“It goes on to say that we wouldn’t change a thing about all the good things that have happened to us in our careers as singers,” she says.
But while both have scaled the dizzy heights of showbiz success, they have been very open in talking about how they have had to battle booze.
While Margo is now able to deal with the problems that caused havoc in her career, she admits that it was not easy get off the drink.
“I am not going to say that I didn’t slip up during that period or that it was easy, because it wasn’t.
“I am lucky enough now to have been sober for a long time but it is tough for Dolores, as it is still early days for her. She is a brilliant person but everybody needs to be there now for her and to give her any support that she needs,” says Margo.
“Back when I was living in Galway I went out to Caherlistrane to meet some of the Keanes, including the aunts of Dolores, just to talk to them and hear them sing.
“Dolores was away on tour and I didn’t get to meet her until much later but I have always admired her and I wish her loads of luck. It will be great if we can get to record that new song together.”
Margo is as frank in her biography titled The Promise and the Dream, published by O’Brien Press, as she was on the Late Late Show recently about her highs and lows, including some of the good and bad times while living in Galway.
“I was living in the city when I won the top Irish girl singer of the year award in 1970, and I was living there too when at an all time low — broke on Christmas Day 1986 and I had only beans on toast in my rented room while waiting for the phone to ring with a call from anyone, even if it was someone with a wrong number, but it never rang that day,” says Margo.
“Alcoholism is a cunning disease. People I knew didn’t want to tell me what a mess I was, in case of hurting my feelings.”
In the book she says that seeking professional help from her Galway-based, Moylough-born consultant Dr Mary McInerney who referred her to Aiséirí, an organisation that runs addiction treatment centres in the city, was the turning point.
After spending some time getting therapy in the Aiséirí centre Margo regained her self-pride.
“What I had struggled with in the past became easier to deal with. I know a lot of beautiful people who have had a drink problem and they are special,” she says in the book.
Speaking to The Tuam Herald Margo says that writing some of it was difficult but it had to be done.
“I wrote the book from the heart but I cried a river while doing it. Everything that is in it, good and bad, happened.”
Her memory of the details of events over the years is astounding to say the least and during this interview I was taken aback when she spoke of her first brush with The Tuam Herald over 30 years ago.
“We drove out there for a photo session at the home of Chrissie and PJ Costello (near Menlough) where one of their children was one of my youngest fans at the time. His name was Damien,” says Margo, as if the event had happened only yesterday.
She has always tried to remember the fans from down the years and many of the older ones have become friends.
As many of those fans are in Galway she is looking forward to the concert in Salthill on Sunday night week.
“As I am not doing much work now for health reasons I have to space the concerts out and only do a few over a number of weeks. I am doing nine in all, just to celebrate 50 years on the music scene with the people, and Galway could not have been left out of the tour. As I may never do another one in Galway, I have to be in top form for this one,” she says.
She writes about the time she had a bad crash near The Trapper’s Inn, outside Galway while on her way “to sing at the Corofin Carnival on a rainy Friday night, July 19, 1974” and how during her 12 months of recovery she slipped down the path of serious drinking again.
Also on the dark side of her life Margo states that she was sexually assaulted by a man while she was under the influence of drink, an incident that she talked about during her recent Late Late Show appearance. She also talks about people in the business taking advantage of her financially when she was a top star during her teenage years and how she had to go to court to gain control of many of her earlier recordings.
The book also contains photos of famous people she has met during her career including Prince Charles, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Crystal Gayle and many others.
Margo also writes about meeting The Beatles when she was recording in the famous Abbey Road Studios in London and a chance meeting with Michael Jackson in a hotel where they were both staying in Melbourne, Australia.
In her comments Margo is non-judgemental of Michael Jackson. “Who are we to judge him? We haven’t walked in Michael Jackson’s shoes.”
Apart from her book Margo has a new album out containing her very popular current single Pocket Full of Dreams and there is also a new live DVD on the market.
“I wanted to record a live  DVD rather than doing something in the studio. We did it last March and I am so glad, as it was the last show that my mother attended and now that she has passed on it is great that she was there for the recording.”
While she had hoped to present the first copy of her book to her mother that was not to be, but Margo had read over all the book with her before she died.
There are messages from many celebrities wishing her well, including one from her famous brother Daniel, Dolly Parton, Big Tom, and President Michael D Higgins.
Since she was 13 Margo has been on the road entertaining the fans and the ups and downs of that lifestyle are chronicled, sometimes in brutal honesty, in her book which is also full of the sort of wit and wisdom that she displayed during her recent Late Late Show appearance.
Similar to Dolores Keane, this singing girl from Donegal has triumphed over adversity to hit the comeback trail with a bang. If the two get together to record the duet that Margo talks about it should be snapped up by the countless fans who love both those ladies of the Irish music scene.
Tickets for Margo’s concert in the Salthill Hotel on Sunday week October 26 are currently available from Quinn’s Shop, Bishop Street, Tuam, the Salthill Hotel reception, OMG Zhivago and other ticket outlets.