Joe Dolan was one of the most successful Irish singers to span over four decades.

Born in Mullingar, Country Westmeath, Dolan was the youngest of eight children and was raised by older brother Ben after both parents died before he was in his late-teens. Music was always part of the Dolan's lives and after Joe finished his internship at Westmeath Examiner, he and brother Ben started a band. The Drifters Showband featured Dolan as lead vocalist and guitarist. In 1964 he recorded his first album that did well on the Irish charts, but it wasn't until 1969 that Dolan saw international success. He signed to Pye International Label, and with the single "Make Me An Island," Dolan saw number one hits in 14 countries.

Dolan toured with his band across the globe, and started contributing more music that reached the top of the charts. In 1978 he was the first Western Artist to perform in Russia. In 1980 he had a 3 month long run at The Silverbird Hotel in Las Vegas and toured again, this time without visiting his home country. In the ‘90s Dolan established his own record label, naming it Gable Records. He recorded yet another Top Ten album in 1997, followed by the single "Good Looking Woman," which he recorded with a puppet.

In 1998 he released Joe's 90s, which comprised several different cover songs by more contemporary artists like Oasis and Blur, which was a new approach for Dolan. "The Universal," an originally Blur single, was a Top Ten hit following the album. He continued to tour and record into the ‘00s, even after a hip replacement, but during his 2007 tour had to reschedule some concert dates. He was taken to the Dublins Mater Private Hospital in Foxrock on December 26 and died from a cerebral hemorrhage.