Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high tenor singing voice, he had a wide appeal with many international fans.

He was orphaned at a young age – his father, a bicycle shop proprietor, died when Joe was ten; his mother when he was nineteen.

[6] The Irish chat show legend Gay Byrne famously described Dolan’s voice as “butter mixed with honey”.

The track was a hit in the UK and led to Dolan's first appearance on the BBC's Top of the Pops which helped to make him "the biggest Irish star in the world at that time".

After the recording of Make Me An Island Dolan was approached and signed by the MAM Agency whose major star was Tom Jones.

A collaboration with writers Roberto Danova and Peter Yellowstone in the mid-1970s produced more singles which made little impact on the British domestic market but did well internationally.

[citation needed] His next single, "Lady in Blue" was his biggest ever hit, winning five gold records and selling one million copies.

In any given month Dolan could be touring the Middle East one week, Australia the next, then South Africa and then back to Europe and Ireland.

[citation needed] With his own record label, studio and material Dolan became one of the biggest selling independent artists of the 1990s with albums such as 'Endless Magic' keeping him near the top of the charts.

The official biography suggests that he had a quiet offstage presence and preferred to keep romances out of the public eye but cites a long relationship with Isabella Fogarty whom he met in 1977, started dating in the 1980s and subsequently lived with.

During the following fracas Dolan was headbutted (breaking his nose), kicked, punched, and slammed into lavatory fittings and a wall in a sustained attack that was halted only when the sound of police sirens could be heard.

Upon landing, he attempted to leave the airport without his luggage and passport but was prevented from doing so by security staff, one of whom drew his pistol and pointed it at Dolan.

[25] The tour operator subsequently received a fax from Aer Lingus refusing to fly the star back to Dublin.

[26] Dolan's health began to decline after he underwent a hip replacement in 2005, which put him off the road for 12 months and led to the discovery of Type 2 Diabetes, which appeared to account for the low energy levels he had been experiencing.

[27] Following a discussion with Keith Duffy of the boy band Boyzone, the hip bone that was replaced was signed and auctioned for €650, the proceeds being given to Irish Autism Action.

[30] On 16 December 2007, the front page of the Sunday Independent reported that Dolan was suffering from a "bad virus" and had been forced to cancel his entire Christmas tour.

Despite the blood transfusions and other medical interventions, Dolan became weaker and he was finally discharged from the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin on 23 December 2007 in a wheelchair.

En route to the hospital, Dolan suffered a massive intracerebral haemorrhage, at which he became unconscious, and was connected to life support equipment upon his arrival.

At approximately 14:30 hours on St Stephen's Day, surrounded by family and friends, the machines were switched off[29] and Dolan died within 20 minutes, on December 26, 2007, never regaining consciousness.