Alan Thomas Doyle (born May 17, 1969) is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as the

lead singer The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

of the Canadian folk rock band

Great Big Sea Great Big Sea was a Canadian folk rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year Irish, Scot ...

Life and career

Alan Doyle was born and raised in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, in a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

family. He attended

Memorial University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...

in St. John's, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. It is also there that he met

Séan McCann Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as '' Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglic ...

Bob Hallett Robert "Bob" Hallett (born 1966) is a Canadian musician, author, producer, and entrepreneur, best known as a founding member of the Canadian folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, ...

and

Darrell Power Darrell Power (born June 3, 1968) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, music producer, and former member of Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea (1993–2003). He is a guest host of VOCM Nightline and Open Line. Power currently works as ...

with whom he formed

. He primarily plays electric and acoustic guitars, and the

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

for live performances, but he has been known to play mandolin and banjo. Before

, Doyle played in a duo with John Brenton called Staggering Home. As a teen he played in his uncle's band, the New Sandells. Doyle has also been involved with a handful of stage, television and film productions. As a child, he appeared as an extra in the movie ''

A Whale for the Killing ''A Whale for the Killing'' is an American television film that aired on ABC on February 1, 1981. It is loosely based on a true story by environmentalist Farley Mowat, about a whale that is tortured by a fisherman. The incident happened near Bur ...

'', based on Farley Mowat's book of the same name, which was filmed in his hometown. He has also hosted regional arts awards shows in Atlantic Canada, appeared as a presenter on the Juno Awards and done a turn onstage in his hometown's "24-Hour Musical" performance of '' Grease''. In 2005, he composed music for the CBC comedy ''

Hatching, Matching and Dispatching ''Hatching, Matching and Dispatching'' is a Canadian television sitcom, which aired on CBC Television on 2006. The show starred Mary Walsh as Mamie Lou Furey, the matriarch of a family in Cats Gut Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador who owns a combin ...

'', which stars Mary Walsh. In 2006, he worked on scoring the film '' Young Triffie's Been Made Away With'', directed by Walsh. Doyle has also produced an album for his sister, Michelle Doyle. Russell crowe & alan doyle

Doyle has been linked to

Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...

and his bands

30 Odd Foot of Grunts 30 Odd Foot of Grunts were an Australian rock group, formed in 1992, with Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permane ...

and

The Ordinary Fear of God Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...

, having produced and co-written several songs on Crowe's album, ''My Hand, My Heart'', and played several shows with Crowe. In 2011, they released '' The Crowe/Doyle Songbook Vol.III'' with 9 songs in both acoustic demo and finished format, for 18 tracks total. This friendship also led to Doyle's casting as Allan A'Dayle alongside Crowe,

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received n ...

, Kevin Durand, and

Scott Grimes Scott Christopher Grimes (born July 9, 1971) is an American actor and singer. Some of his most prominent roles include appearances in the 1984 cult classic ''The Night They Saved Christmas'', '' ER'' as Dr. Archie Morris, '' Party of Five'' as Wi ...

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...

's ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...

'', released May 14, 2010. He played Dingy in the film '' Winter's Tale'', also with Crowe and Durand, as well as

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

and

Colin Farrell Colin James Farrell (; born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor. A leading man in projects across various genres in both blockbuster and independent films since the 2000s, he has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award. ''The ...

. He collaborated with ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...

'' music composer

Mike Post Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil, September 29, 1944) is an American composer, best known for his TV theme music for various shows, including ''Law & Order''; '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; ''The A-Team''; ''NYPD Blue''; ''Renegad ...

and wrote and performed a song named "Middle of Nowhere", written for the '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' episode "Broad Channel". Doyle has guest starred on three episodes of the

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

series ''

Republic of Doyle ''Republic of Doyle'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series set in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which aired on CBC Television from January 6, 2010, to December 10, 2014. The show stars Allan Hawco as private investigator and f ...

'' as the character Wolf Redmond. Season 2, episode 2 introduced him as an inmate sent to prison on charges of B&Es and a few robberies. Doyle guest starred with

, Kevin Durand, and

on the first show of ''Republic of Doyle''s third season after the four had costarred on ''Robin Hood''. His third appearance – the second with Grimes – was on season 4, episode 6. He appeared in an episode of ''

Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick ...

tenth season. In 2012, Doyle released his first solo album, ''

Boy on Bridge ''Boy on Bridge'' is an album by Alan Doyle, released in 2012. It was his first solo album. Until then, he had not released a solo album in the 19 years he had been in Great Big Sea. The album title is a reference to Doyle's IMDb page in which ...

''. The title is a nod to Doyle's credit as the "boy on bridge" in the movie ''A Whale for the Killing'', when he was a young boy. The first single from the album is "I've Seen a Little" and the album features collaborations with Canadian musicians

Hawksley Workman Hawksley Workman (Born Ryan Corrigan, March 4, 1975) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full-length albums throughout his career. A mul ...

Jim Cuddy James Gordon Cuddy, (born December 2, 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter primarily associated with the band Blue Rodeo. Early life and education Cuddy was born in Toronto, Ontario. His Mother Jean Cuddy was an English teacher at Monarch Par ...

Ron Hynes Ron Hynes (December 7, 1950 – November 19, 2015) was a folk singer-songwriter from Newfoundland and Labrador. He was especially known for his composition "Sonny's Dream", which has been recorded worldwide by many artists and was named the 41s ...

, and actor-musician

, among others. The video for the second single, "Testify", was nominated for a 2012 Juno. The creation of the album was captured by a film crew, resulting in a documentary also named ''Boy on Bridge'' directed by Joel Stewart and John Vatcher. Doyle, with Great Big Sea, was featured on Canadian country artist,

Dean Brody Dean Brody (born August 12, 1975) is a Canadian country music artist who has won 16 CCMA Awards and 2 JUNO Awards. Originally signed to Broken Bow Records in 2008, Brody made his debut later that year with the single " Brothers". This song, a Top ...

's 2012 album titled ''

Dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Dust: a gener ...

'', singing on the track "It's Friday". In 2014, Doyle released a book entitled ''Where I Belong'', about his youth growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador. Doyle's second solo album, entitled ''

So Let's Go ''So Let's Go'' is the second solo album by Alan Doyle, released on January 20, 2015. Track listing Chart performance Singles The lead single off the album, "So Let's Go", was released November 6, 2014, by Universal Music Canada Universal Mu ...

'', was released January 20, 2015. In 2017, he guest starred in a ''

'' episode, "A Murdog Mystery" as a man who claims to be a time travelling historian. Doyle reprised the role in the

web series A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single in ...

"Beyond Time". Doyle's third solo album ''

A Week at the Warehouse ''A Week at the Warehouse'' is the third solo album by Alan Doyle Alan Thomas Doyle (born May 17, 1969) is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of the Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea. Life and career Alan Doyle ...

'', was released on October 13, 2017. His second book titled ''A Newfoundlander in Canada: Always Going Somewhere, Always Coming Home'', was released on October 17. On June 14, 2022 he will begin starring in a musical comedy called ''Tell Tale Harbour'' at the 2022 Charlottetown Festival. The story is based on the screenplay ''La grande séduction'' by

Ken Scott Ken Scott (born 20 April 1947) is a British record producer and engineer known for being one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, as well as engineering Elton John, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Duran Duran, the Jeff B ...

that was made into the 2003 award winning film ''

Seducing Doctor Lewis ''Seducing Doctor Lewis'' () is a 2003 Quebec comedy film and the first film directed by Jean-François Pouliot.Hornaday, Ann (July 30, 2004)"Hook, Line and Hoodwinkers" ''Washington Post (washingtonpost.com)''. Retrieved 03-06-2005. The scri ...

''. Doyle was co-writer of the production as well as co-writer of music and lyrics with Bob Foster. Also credited as one of the authors for a book of the musical with award-winning writer

Edward Riche Edward Riche (born October 24, 1961) is a Canadian writer. He lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Background Riche was born in Botwood, Newfoundland. For three years he attended Memorial University, and then transferred to Concordia U ...

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

Guest singles

Music videos

Honours

* He was awarded the Canadian Version of the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

in 2012. * He was made a

Member of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

(CM) on May 10, 2018.

References

External links

*
Photo portrait Alan Thomas Doyle on greatbigsea.com
retrieved November 23, 2011
Official BiographyOfficial site for the album ''My Hand, My Heart''

INTERVIEW: Robin Hood's Merry Men , Rip It Up Magazine
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Doyle, Alan 1969 births Living people 20th-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian male singers Canadian folk rock musicians Canadian folk singers Canadian male guitarists Canadian male singers Canadian rock guitarists Canadian rock singers Canadian songwriters Great Big Sea members Male actors from Newfoundland and Labrador Members of the Order of Canada Musicians from Newfoundland and Labrador People from Newfoundland (island)