Jamie Donnelly is tipped as one of the hottest new talents in the industry but she told Sunday Life that she also dreams of making it big in the West End.
The ambitious 24-year-old, from Strabane, was thrilled to get advice on both careers from the master himself — 1970s pop superstar and musical theatre veteran David Essex — when she played support at his Belfast gig in December.
Jamie Donnelly
“I knew him more from his musical theatre. He’s had such a versatile career and, after I performed, I watched him on stage. And just seeing how he interacted with the audience, I learnt a lot,” she said.
“He was really nice and gave me great advice. I’m currently doing a master’s degree in musical theatre in London and would love, one day, to be in the West End.
“He told me to keep going and not to let any knocks harm me. As the industry is so saturated, you get a lot of noes, but he told me to never give up.
“I’ve done a bit of musical theatre in Strabane. It would be incredible to one day be able to do Mamma Mia and Six the Musical, that’s the dream.”
Jamie Donnelly
But her music fans need not worry as she has no intentions of giving up on her singing and songwriting.
Jamie enjoyed an incredible 2024 with her music, picking up Best Female Newcomer at the Northern Ireland Country Music Awards (NICMA) last January and then Hot Country TV’s Rising Female Artist of the Year.
She will be back on stage to perform at the NICMA awards in the Seagoe Hotel in Portadown on February 17.
A new single is due to be released early in 2025 and Jamie is currently collaborating with songwriters to produce her own material for a third album.
Life is busy and full and she’s not taking any of it for granted: “I just want to work and improve my craft all the time and be in the best shape possible,” she says.
Jamie Donnelly
Jamie’s career started to take off in 2020 when her single Soap Box topped the iTunes charts.
She was then asked to join TG4’s country singing competition, Glór Tíre, which saw her garner even more new fans. Another chart-topping single, Daddy Lessons, followed, and a tribute album to her own favourite female artists entitled This One’s for the Girls — all this while studying for an honours degree in music at Queen’s University Belfast.
“I’ve recorded two albums and two EPs and my first really big single was Soap Box. It was during Covid and most of the big artists were not releasing anything, so I found a gap and tried to push out my music as much as possible and it went to number one, and Hot Country played the video on TV,” she said.
“After I was on Glór Tíre, things started to snowball. And last year I brought out the single Christmas Coming Home and it also went to number one. It’s been crazy; I’ve been very lucky, the people in my hometown of Strabane have been brilliant. They’ve really got behind me.”
Jamie Donnelly with David Essex
Jamie loves Irish country music but has been influenced by Australian and American country, giving her music a stand-out quality.
She explains: “I’ve also recorded 10 Bucks in the Glovebox by the Sunny Cowgirls. The music is quirkier and it has a different sound. Nobody around here really does Australian country music.
“I also wanted to choose songs from the women in the industry who have shaped it for artists like me coming through and I wanted to pay tribute to all their hard work and success.
“So my album This One’s For The Girls features tracks by acts who have inspired me over the years. I love Louise Morrissey, Susan McCann and Philomena Begley.
“I love Irish and American, but I would be more into American. I love Faith Hill, Shania Twain and Dolly Parton.”
Jamie Donnelly
In the year ahead, Jamie will be launching a new single — her version of the Dusty Springfield hit I Only Want to be With You — and she’s also working on a new album.
Fans will be able to see Jamie in February when she takes to the stage for this year’s NICMAs.
The event brings music lovers from across Ireland and the UK together to celebrate, meet and pay tribute to the finest country stars in Northern Ireland.
Jamie Donnelly at the Northern Ireland Country Music Awards
Jamie Donnelly will be one of more than 40 performers taking to the stage.
The publicly voted awards were set up in 2019 primarily to give music fans the chance to decide their favourites in the industry.
There’s still time to vote for your favourite music star, as voting closes on January 10.
