Margo (Margaret) O'Donnell Feature (1964-present)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
Keynotes Showband - Country
Folk - Margo & Co. - Country Pride - Country Blue Boys - Blue Ridge Boys -
Margo's long career has been a series of highs
and lows and she has spoken publicly about her struggles with
alcohol and depression which she has has attributed to the stress of
touring and financial difficulties caused by poor management
contracts. One way or another, these issues can not detract from her
status as one of Ireland's greatest entertainers for a half century.
Born Margaret O'Donnell in 1951 in Kincasslagh, Co.
Donegal, Margo is one of the real enigmas of the Irish entertainment
scene. She started her career with local band, The Keynotes in 1964
when she was 14 years old. She talked on her own website about the
experience, "In 1964 I was approached
by the Keynotes Showband, a local group of lads from home to sing
with them. With my parents consent and strict orders from my Dad to
look out for me, I joined them and would sing locally at weekends
and school holidays, and then we ventured to Scotland. I never
intended it to be my full time occupation, I always wanted to be a
nurse, work at that for awhile, get married to a nice man, settle
down and have three or four children--Not to be."
We found an advert from Christmas night, 1964
introducing Margaret to the public and for the next few years, the
Keynotes played mostly around their native Donegal rarely venturing
"down the country" but they did do tours of Scotland as mentioned
above. The band played the many small halls which dotted the Donegal
countryside in places like Pettigo, Leghowney and Falcarragh.
Margo didn't release her debut single for several
years, and when it finally came in 1968, Bonny Irish Boy, actually cracked the Irish Top 20, no
mean feat for a first attempt. Sadly, the release of her first
record coincided with the sudden death of her Dad. Said Margo, "my
life would never be the same again, you see for me my dad hung the
moon."
Despite the setback in her personal life,
professionally, Margo continued to build her career to ever new
heights. Her second record, Road By
The River made it to number two, establishing her as a bona fide
star with the "Country and Irish" set and on the ballroom
circuit. The song had been originally recorded by Frank O'Donovan
(an actor on the popular Riordan's RTE show) back in the 1950's.
Once playing mostly in Donegal and the Northwest, the Keynotes were
now travelling the length and breadth of Ireland for gigs. Margo was
also featured on the Late Late Show on RTE as well.
In the November 21st, 1969 issue of Spotlight,
the Insight column announced that promoters Johnny Kelly (formerly
of the Capitol) and Johnny McNally (who ran the Airlines dance in
Dublin's Crystal Ballroom) had signed Margo to front a new band,
which we soon find out was The Country Folk. Margo has said the
decision to leave was not easy but, "they offered a secure wage and
a good future. I talked it over with my mother and we decided to
take the offer. It broke my heart but I left the Keynotes." The new
band debuted on St. Stephen's Night, 1969. The Keynotes
replaced Margo with a new female vocalist, Patricia (although we are not sure
of her last name or how long they stayed on the road).
The new band was made up of: Mick Bagnall
(bass), Paul Mitchell (steel guitar), Aidan Graham (drums), Colm
Graham (guitar), Roy Butterfield (guitar) and Owin St. John
(fiddle). In the August 8th, 1970 edition of Spotlight it was
reported that Owin left the band and was being replaced by a
sax player. The article also reported that Margo had been off the
road for a week due to an appendix operation. Early in 1970, Margo
was featured on the RTE show, Hoot'nanny. They released a
single in March,
Gradh Mo Chroi
which went to number six in the Irish Charts and put the band on
solid footing with punters.
Fronting the Country Folk, Margo
continued to build on her success and popularity and her follow up,
I'll Forgive and I'll Try to Forget gave her the first number
one hit of her career.
In the Spotlight National Show business Poll (whose results
were published in the January 16th, 1971 issue of the magazine),
Margo was voted top female artist, beating out Eurovision winner,
Dana (2nd), Kelley (3rd), and Sandie Jones (4th). The result
consolidated her position as one of the top acts on the ballroom
circuit.
In late 1972, the band underwent several
changes and when the dust settled, only Margo, Dave Traynor and
Frank McCaffrey were left in the band. According to Julie Boyd's
column in the December 14, 1972 issue of Spotlight, the new lineup
was: Frank McCaffrey (bass), Ray Doherty (guitar), Paddy Higgins
(drums), Joe Murray (keyboards), Jim Malone (sax), Dave Traynor
(sax) and Margo (vocals).
In 1973, Margo left the Country Folk and formed
Margo and Co., however this band would be short lived as in August, 1974,
the singer was involved in a
serious car accident and was off the road for a while.
After a four month recuperation, she joined with Mattie Fox (who had
previously been with the Country Blue Boys and the Grassroots) and
they headed up a revamped lineup of the Grassroots, with the new name, Country Pride.
The new band made their debut on Christmas Night, 1974.
Margo faced another setback as in the October
20, 1975 issue of Spotlight, the "Release Round Up" reported
Margo had been "ordered to rest" by her doctors. Release Manager
Mick Clerkin was quoted as saying, "she has had a very strenuous
year between ballroom dates, tours, television appearances and
recording. All of this, so soon after her accident, has been too
much and she needs rest." He went on to say Margo was still under a
doctor's care and would only be recording "at a relaxed pace"
before perhaps coming back to do some cabaret appearances.
The following month, November, 1975 Margo announced that she was
moving from the ballrooms to cabaret, following the lead of many
other stars of the showband era. However, a few weeks later,
in the December 4th, 1975 issue of Spotlight, a blurb in the
Release Round-Up page revealed that Margo was joining Larry
Cunningham and his Country Blue Boys.
More to come.....
click on thumbnails for full image
Discography
Margo and the
Keynotes
Bonny Irish Boy / Dear God -
#18 Irish Charts
Target/Pye Records - 7N.17602 - September, 1968
Road By The River / Through The Eyes of a Child -
#2 Irish Charts
Target/Pye Records - 7N.17677 - 1969
Once A Day / This Old
House
Target/Pye Records - 7N.17758 - 1969
Road By The River / Bonny Irish Boy / Dear God / Through The
Eyes of a Child
Target/Pye Records - PIMM 603 - April, 1972 (Re-release EP)
Margo and the
Country Folk
Gradh Mo Chroi / Mama Say A Prayer -
#6 Irish Charts
Ruby Records - RUB 102 - March, 1970
I'll Forgive and I'll Try To Forget / Satisfied Mind -
#1 Irish Charts
Ruby Records - RUB 113 - September, 1970
Deep Sheep Haven Bay / If I Kiss You (Double A Side)
Ara Records - ARA 001 - February, 1971
Don't Read The Letter / Time Changes Everything -
#1 Irish Charts
Ara Records - ARA 002 - June, 1971
Margo and Co.
Shamrock From Glanore / Cliffs of Dooneen -
#2 Irish Charts
Ara Records - ARA 004 - February, 1973
Deepening Snow /
Ara Records - ARA 005 - November, 1973
Margo, Mattie
Fox and Country Pride
Girl From Donegal / Connemara Rose (Mattie Fox) -
#6 Irish Charts
Release Records - IRL.224 - November, 1974
Margo (Solo?)
Irish Eyes / Let's Go All The Way -
#2 Irish Charts
Release Records - RL.838 - September, 1976
Good Evening Henry / -
#19 Irish Charts
Release Records - Unknown - November, 1979
Thank You For The Roses /
Release Records - Unknown - October, 1980
The Isle of Ireland -
#12 Irish Charts
Smash Records - Unknown - December, 1984
New Tomorrow - # 26
Irish Charts
I & B Records - Unknown - July, 1989
Albums:
Unknown Title Album
Ruby Records - RLB 1003 - 1970
From
Margo With Love
Ara Records - ARAL 1001 - October, 1971
Country Loving
Ara Records - ARAL 1002 - January, 1972
At Home In Ireland
Ara Records - ARAL 1004 - August, 1973
Margo's Greatest Hits, Volume 1
Release Records - Unknown - December, 1974
Margo's Greatest Hits, Volume 2
Release Records - Unknown - November, 1978
Irish Requests
Release Records - Unknown - December, 1979
