Declan

Despite sporting a name that could only be more Irish if the "i'" were dotted with a shamrock, teen pop singer Declan Galbraith is a native of a small village in a largely rural area of the county of Kent in southern England. The son of a Scots father and an Irish mother whose own father was a semi-professional musician in the Irish folk tradition, Galbraith was raised in a musical household. After making his public debut at the age of seven at a local festival devoted to the life and work of Charles Dickens, the young singer became a regular on the talent show circuit. In 2001, at the age of nine, Declan's first single, a version of the Christmas standard "Walking in the Air," was released. It was followed a year later by the now ten-year-old singer's first album, Declan. An album of largely traditional songs and Irish airs ranging from "Danny Boy" to a cover of Robbie Williams' "Angels," Declan was a modest success, but EMI dropped the young singer shortly after its release. In 2006, a newly adolescent Declan signed to the Starwatch label, which reintroduced the young singer to the European audience as a pop idol heartthrob. Declan's second album, Thank You, featured smooth adult contemporary versions of pop hits like Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" and the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin."