Shane Steven Filan[1] (born 5 July 1979) is an Irish singer best known as a member of the pop vocal group Westlife, which was formed in 1998, disbanded in 2012, and regrouped in 2018.
Westlife has released thirteen albums, embarked on twelve world tours, and won several awards, becoming one of the most successful musical groups of all time.
From a very early age, Filan worked behind the counter of his parents' business – a diner in Sligo called the "Carlton Café".
[4] Before Westlife, Egan, and Feehily were with Filan in a band known as Six as One and, later on, IOYOU, with other Sligonians Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron, and Michael "Miggles" Garrett.
For six months, Shane's mother, Mae Filan, tried to phone Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, eventually succeeding in talking to him about her son's band.
In December 2011, press reports announced Filan was close to signing a solo deal with one of several potential competing UK record labels.
"There's four, possibly five labels so far who have made it clear that they want to sign Shane," said a music source to showbiz writer Paul Martin.
For the new deal, Filan stated that he had spent the past 12 months in both US and UK writing songs and recording, and that a forthcoming single and an album would be released later in the year.
[15] After the Westlife split, bankruptcy, the You and Me Tour, and his debut autobiography My Side of Life, Filan announced on 13 March 2015 that he was working on his second studio album, Right Here.
[8] The album was mostly recorded in London and Denmark, and featured collaborations with Cutfather (The Saturdays, JLS), Jez Ashurst (Will Young, Gabrielle Aplin), Jon Maguire (Union J), Tre Jean-Marie (MNEK, Jason Derulo), and Girls Aloud.
Filan married his childhood sweetheart, Gillian Walsh, on 28 December 2003 at Ballintubber Abbey, followed by a reception at Ashford Castle, Ireland.
The company was placed in receivership in May 2012[28] and Filan was declared bankrupt a little over a month later after suffering losses in Ireland's property crash.