Alan Doyle

{{short description|Canadian musician and actor|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Alan Doyle | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|ONL|size=100%}} | image = Alan Doyle in 2024.jpg | caption = Doyle in 2023 | image_size =  | birth_name = Alan Thomas Doyle | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|5|17}} | birth_place = Petty Harbour, Newfoundland | death_date = | origin = | instrument = Singing, mandolin, acoustic guitar, bouzouki, electric guitar, | genre = Folk rock | occupation = Musician, producer, songwriter, actor | years_active = 1993–present | label = | website = [http://alandoyle.ca/ alandoyle.ca], [https://web.archive.org/web/20040603205212/http://www.greatbigseas.com/ www.greatbigsea.com] }} '''Alan Thomas Doyle''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|ONL}} (born May 17, 1969)<ref>{{cite tweet| user=alanthomasdoyle|number=1053745721315213312|first=Alan|last=Doyle|title=Me and @MaryBrowns. Both born in 1969.| date=October 20, 2018|access-date= November 18, 2018}}</ref> is a Canadian musician and founding member of the Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea.

==Life and career== Alan Doyle was born and raised in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland,<ref name=CTVNewman>{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/kevin-newman-tours-alan-doyle-s-hometown-1.2090892 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814033441/http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/kevin-newman-tours-alan-doyle-s-hometown-1.2090892 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 14, 2015 |title= Kevin Newman tours Alan Doyle's hometown| first=Kevin|last= Newman|publisher=CTV | date=November 7, 2014 |access-date= November 18, 2018}}</ref> in a Roman Catholic family.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.carillon.uregina.ca:16080/99.10.14/arts/sea.html|date=October 1999|volume=42|issue=7|work=The Carillon|location=University of Regina|title=Great Big Sea blends 'the Rock' music with pop|first=Kim|last=Krett|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615182355/http://www.carillon.uregina.ca:16080/99.10.14/arts/sea.html|archive-date=June 15, 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=March 12, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He attended Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. It is also there that he met Séan McCann, Bob Hallett and Darrell Power with whom he formed Great Big Sea. He primarily plays electric and acoustic guitars, and the bouzouki for live performances, but he has been known to play mandolin and banjo.

He is married to Joanne; they have one son.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/lifestyles/its-going-to-be-a-great-big-pei-summer-for-musician-alan-doyle-100716830/ | title=It's going to be a great big P.E.I. Summer for musician Alan Doyle | SaltWire }}</ref>

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'', 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'', which stars Mary Walsh. In 2006, he worked on scoring the film ''Young Triffie's Been Made Away With'', directed by Walsh.

[[File:Russell crowe & alan doyle.jpg|thumb|Russell Crowe & Alan Doyle]] Doyle has been linked to Russell Crowe and his bands 30 Odd Foot of Grunts and The Ordinary Fear of God, 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 nine 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, Kevin Durand, and Scott Grimes in Ridley Scott's ''Robin Hood'', released May 14, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Great Big Sea's Doyle lands role in Ridley Scott film|date=March 6, 2009|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/great-big-sea-s-doyle-lands-role-in-ridley-scott-film-1.793542|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309003249/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2009/03/06/doyle-scott.html|archive-date=March 9, 2009}}</ref> He played Dingy in the film ''Winter's Tale'', also with Crowe and Durand, as well as Will Smith and Colin Farrell.

He collaborated with ''Law & Order'' music composer Mike Post and wrote and performed a song named "Middle of Nowhere", written for the ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' episode "Broad Channel".<ref>"''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''" episode, "Broad Channel" (9.3, originally aired April 13, 2010)</ref>

Doyle has guest starred on three episodes of the CBC Television series ''Republic of Doyle'' 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 Russell Crowe, Kevin Durand, and Scott Grimes 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''' tenth season.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=778141501465436160|user=alanthomasdoyle|title=Early Rise for flight to 1890 or so and Murdoch Mysteries! Yeha. @CBCMurdoch|date=September 20, 2016}}</ref>

In 2012, Doyle released his first solo album, ''Boy on Bridge''. 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, Jim Cuddy, Ron Hynes, and actor-musician Russell Crowe, 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''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2233999|title=Boy on Bridge (2013)|work=IMDb|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> directed by Joel Stewart and John Vatcher.

Doyle, with Great Big Sea, was featured on Canadian country artist, Dean Brody's 2012 album titled ''Dirt'', 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'', was released January 20, 2015.<ref name="alandoyle.ca">{{cite web|url=http://alandoyle.ca/so-lets-go/|title=So Let's Go|publisher=Alandoyle.ca|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref><ref name="youtube.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwirWF1GAD0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/vwirWF1GAD0 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Alan Doyle - So Let's Go|work=YouTube|access-date=January 14, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

{{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 220 | image1 = Alan Doyle blacksheep 2017 3561.jpg | image2 = Alan Doyle blacksheep 2017 3646.jpg | footer = Alan Doyle and band at the 2017 Blacksheep Festival }} In 2017, he guest starred in a ''Murdoch Mysteries'' episode, "A Murdog Mystery" as a man who claims to be a time travelling historian. Doyle reprised the role in the web series ''Beyond Time''.

Doyle's third solo album, ''A Week at the Warehouse'', 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.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, Doyle started remotely collaborating with several Newfoundland-based artists to create a special "isolation edition" EP entitled, ''Songs from Home'', which was released in November 2020. Contributing artists included Fortunate Ones, Rachel Cousins, The Ennis Sisters, and The Once. Per Doyle, ''Songs From Home'' is all about making and keeping connections at a time when it was so difficult to be connected.

On June 14, 2022, he began starring in a musical comedy called ''Tell Tale Harbour'' at the 2022 Charlottetown Festival.<ref name=tth-news>{{cite web|title=Tell Tale Harbour World Premiere to Headline The 2022 Charlottetown Festival|date=16 November 2021|website=Confederation Centre of the Arts|url=https://confederationcentre.com/news/tell-tale-harbour-world-premiere-2022-charlottetown-festival/|access-date=24 April 2022}}</ref> The story is based on the screenplay ''La grande séduction'' by Ken Scott that was made into the 2003 award winning<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Chamberlain |first=Mike|title=Ken Scott's Seductive Success|date=Spring 2004|magazine=Canadian Screenwriter|publisher=Writers Guild of Canada|at=The W Files|url=https://www.wgc.ca/magazine/articles/spring04-w-files.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040624230715/https://www.wgc.ca/magazine/articles/spring04-w-files.html|archive-date=24 June 2004}}</ref> film ''Seducing Doctor Lewis''. Doyle was co-writer of the production as well as co-writer of music and lyrics with Bob Foster.<ref name=tth-credits>{{cite web|title=Tell Tale Harbour|website=Confederation Centre of the Arts|url=https://confederationcentre.com/whats-on/tell-tale-harbour/|access-date=24 April 2022}}</ref> Also credited as one of the authors for a book of the musical with award-winning writer Edward Riche.<ref name=tth-news />

Doyle, with Keith Power, writes the music for the Canadian comedy series ''Son of a Critch'', for which they have received Canadian Screen Awards nominations for ''Best Original Music, Comedy'' in 2023 and 2024.

==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Details ! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| CAN <ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/alan-doyle/chart-history/cna/|title=Alan Doyle Chart History – Canadian Albums|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 24, 2012}}</ref> ! width="45"| US Heat <ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/alan-doyle/chart-history/tln/|title=Alan Doyle Chart History – Heatseekers Albums|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 24, 2012}}</ref> ! width="45"| US Folk <ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/alan-doyle/chart-history/flk/|title=Alan Doyle Chart History – Folk Albums|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 24, 2012}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Boy on Bridge'' | * Release date: May 16, 2012 * Label: Universal Music Canada | 11 | 37 | 20 |- ! scope="row"| ''So Let's Go''<ref name="alandoyle.ca"/> | * Release date: January 20, 2015<ref name="youtube.com"/> * Label: Universal Music Canada | 13 | — | — |- ! scope="row"| ''A Week at the Warehouse'' | * Release date: October 13, 2017 * Label: Universal Music Canada | 26 | — | — |- ! scope="row"|''Welcome Home'' | *Release date: February 9, 2024 * Label: Skinner’s Hill Music, Warner Music Canada |— |— |— |- ! scope="row"|''Already Dancing'' | *Release date: February 20, 2026 * Label: Skinner’s Hill Music, Warner Music Canada |— |— |— |- | colspan="6" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |}

===Extended plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Details ! colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" style="width:9em;"| Sales |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| CAN <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2020/02/24/changes-becomes-justin-biebers-eighth-no-1-album|title=Changes Becomes Justin Bieber's Eighth No. 1 Album|website=FYIMusicNews|date=February 24, 2020|access-date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Rough Side Out'' | * Release date: February 14, 2020<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/rough-side-out/1491505083|title=Rough Side Out by Alan Doyle|website=Apple Music|access-date=14 February 2020}}</ref> * Label: Skinner's Hill | 2 | *US: 400<ref>{{cite news|url=http://roughstock.com/news/2020/02/44132-top-10-country-albums-chart-pure-sales|title=Top 10 Country Albums Chart in Pure Sales: February 24, 2020|work=Roughstock|first=Matt|last=Bjorke|date=February 25, 2020|access-date=March 6, 2020|archive-date=February 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229035334/http://roughstock.com/news/2020/02/44132-top-10-country-albums-chart-pure-sales|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Back to the Harbour'' | * Release date: May 21, 2021<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/back-to-the-harbour-ep/1562401705|title=Back to the Harbour by Alan Doyle|website=Apple Music|access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref> * Label: Skinner's Hill | — | — |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! style="width:12em;" rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="65"| CAN Country <ref>{{cite web |url= http://charts.bdsradio.com/bdsradiocharts/charts.aspx?formatid=36|title=Billboard Canada Country National Airplay - Week of February 1, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200201005040/http://charts.bdsradio.com/bdsradiocharts/charts.aspx?formatid=36|archive-date=February 1, 2020 |work=Nielsen BDS Radio|publisher=The Nielsen Company |access-date=June 23, 2020}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| 2012 ! scope="row"| "I've Seen a Little" | align="center"| — | rowspan="2"| ''Boy on Bridge'' |- ! scope="row"| "Testify" | align="center"| — |- | 2014 ! scope="row"| "So Let's Go"<ref name="youtube.com"/> | align="center"| — | rowspan="2"| ''So Let's Go''<ref name="alandoyle.ca"/> |- | 2015 ! scope="row"| "The Night Loves Us" | align="center"| — |- | rowspan="2"| 2017 ! scope="row"| "Summer Summer Night" | align="center"| — | rowspan="2"| ''A Week at the Warehouse'' |- ! scope="row"| "Bully Boys" | align="center"| — |- | 2019 ! scope="row"| "We Don't Wanna Go Home" {{small|(featuring Dean Brody)}} | align="center"| 43 | rowspan="2"| ''Rough Side Out'' |- | 2020 ! scope="row"| "What the Whisky Won't Do" {{small|(featuring Jess Moskaluke)}} | align="center"| — |- |2023 ! scope="row"|"Welcome Home" | align="center"| — |''Welcome Home'' |- |2025 ! scope="row"|"Hey Moon (A Campfire Song)" | align="center"| — |''Songs from the Gang'' |}

===Guest singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Single ! rowspan="2"| Artist ! Peak positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="65"| CAN Country <ref name="Canada Country">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/dean-brody-feat-alan-doyle/chart-history |title=Dean Brody feat. Alan Doyle - Canada Country|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 24, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2017 ! scope="row"| "Soggy Bottom Summer" | Dean Brody | 18 | align="left"| ''Beautiful Freakshow'' |- | rowspan="2" | 2020 ! scope="row"| "A Tennessee Whisky and a Newfoundland Song" | Various | — | rowspan="2" align="left"| ''Songs From Home'' |- ! scope="row"| "It's OK" (isolation edition) | Various | — |}

===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! Year ! style="width:14em;"| Video ! Director |- | rowspan="2"| 2012 ! scope="row"| "I've Seen a Little"<ref>{{cite web|title=I've Seen a Little|url=http://alandoyle.ca/ive-seen-a-little-music-video/|publisher=Alandoyle.ca|access-date=June 18, 2012}}</ref> | rowspan="2"| Margaret Malandruccolo |- ! scope="row"| "Testify" |- | 2013 ! scope="row"| "My Day" | Shehab Illyas |- | rowspan="3"| 2015 ! scope="row"| "So Let's Go" | Margaret Malandruccolo |- ! scope="row"| "The Night Loves Us" | Shehab Illyas |- ! scope="row"| "1,2,3,4" (with Ed Robertson)<ref>{{cite web|title=1,2,3,4 – Alan Doyle|url=http://www.vevo.com/watch/CA72O1500004|website=Vevo|access-date=October 7, 2015}}</ref> | Sean Smith/Joel Stewart |- | 2017 ! scope="row"| "Summer Summer Night" |- | 2018 ! scope="row"| "Beautiful To Me" | Steph Young |- | 2020 ! scope="row"| "It's OK" (Songs from Home) (with Fortunate Ones, Rachel Cousins, The Ennis Sisters, and The Once)<ref>{{cite web|title=Alan Doyle - It's OK (Songs from Home)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5FbFlumHs|website=YouTube|access-date=November 14, 2020}}</ref> | Alan Doyle |- | 2021 ! scope="row"| "Back Home on the Island"<ref>{{cite web|title=Back Home on the Island|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOCV48wmFxQ|website=YouTube|access-date=April 26, 2021}}</ref> | Cody Westman |}

==Honours== * Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alan Doyle's Diamond Jubilee Medal Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/126-267513 |website=Governor General of Canada |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref> * Member of the Order of Canada (CM) on May 10, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alan Doyle's Order of Canada Citation |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-10251 |website=Governor General of Canada |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref> * Member of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador on October 4, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2022/exec/1004n03-2/|title=Latest Recipients of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador Recognized|date=October 4, 2022|publisher=Government of Newfoundland and Labrador}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}} * {{IMDb name|0236269}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120117101309/http://www.greatbigsea.com/Images/ABOUT/GBS_Alan2.jpg Photo portrait Alan Thomas Doyle on greatbigsea.com] retrieved November 23, 2011 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917110622/http://www.greatbigsea.com/about/alan_bio.aspx Official Biography] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050420125326/http://www.myhandmyheart.com/ Official site for the album ''My Hand, My Heart''] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120303150201/http://ripitup.co.nz/contentitem/interview-robin-hood-s-merry-men/962 INTERVIEW: Robin Hood's Merry Men | Rip It Up Magazine] * {{discogs artist|Alan Doyle}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doyle, Alan}} Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Canadian male singers Category:21st-century Canadian male singers Category:21st-century Canadian singers Category:Canadian folk rock musicians Category:Canadian folk singers Category:Canadian male guitarists Category:Canadian male singers Category:Canadian rock guitarists Category:Canadian rock singers Category:Canadian male songwriters Category:Great Big Sea members Category:Male actors from Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Singers from Newfoundland and Labrador Category:People from Newfoundland (island)