Daniel O’Donnell spoke of a physical and mental breakdown he went through just as he hit the big time in late 1991, which caused him to lose his most precious possession – his voice.

The country music star opened in a new RTE documentary about his life and career to date as he reaches a pivotal age. Daniel At Sixty aired on RTE One Tuesday night and detailed his personal and professional ups and downs over his 60th birthday.

During a particular low, Daniel said the physical and mental exhaustion caused by a grueling work schedule just as he was hitting the jackpot caused him to lose his voice completely and put him on a hiatus. six months that left him wondering if he would ever return to the music business.

Friends, family and colleagues explained that Daniel’s rise to the top did not come without sacrifice and detailed the events that led to his extreme exhaustion.

“He worked non-stop, he never had personal time, he met all the fans for hours after the shows, driving hours to visit the sick.

“It all came to a head and it crashed towards the end of 1991”.

Speaking of the blackout, Daniel said he was “physically exhausted and possibly mental exhaustion as well.”

“I guess the voice was telling me ‘you need to slow down.’ I just couldn’t physically sing. One night he just gave up. I thought maybe this was the end, maybe I won’t be able to sing because it’s awful to open your mouth and not come out ”.

Daniel urgently sought advice from a specialist vocal coach in Dublin and it was decided that he would take an extended career break.

Daniel went to his manager Sean Reilly on New Years Day 1992 and told him he needed a serious time off, “and there were plenty of sold-out shows in the UK and Ireland, everywhere, I’m sure I left a terrible mess “he added.

“I learned from this that you cannot be everything for everyone and leave nothing for yourself”.

After a six month hiatus, Daniel was worried about his return to the stage, admitting: “I lacked confidence and thought that I would never be able to do the show again”.

From there, Daniel’s management team decided to change the way he played, and instead of doing a lot of dancing and small concerts, he was going to become a concert artist and perform for his fans in the arenas.

And so, Daniel’s comeback took place on July 11, 1992, at none other than The Point – something no other Irish country artist had done before.

“It blew me away because it was a big step.”