Shane Filan



Name: Shane Steven Filan
Date of Birth: 05/07/1979
Eye Colour: Brown
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Siblings: 6
Family: Wife Gillian Filan Children: Nicole, Patrick & Shane jr.

Shane Steven Filan, is an Irish singer best known for his role as a member of the pop vocal group Westlife. Formed in 1998, Westlife disbanded in 2012 and made a triumphant return in 2018. The group has released thirteen albums, undertaken twelve world tours, and won numerous awards, cementing their status as one of the most successful musical groups of all time.

In addition to his work with Westlife, Filan has released three solo albums: You and Me (2013), Right Here (2015), and Love Always (2017). He has achieved sixteen number-one hits on the UK Singles Chart, making him one of the most frequently appearing Irish music artists in the history of British number-one singles.

Early Life


Credits: Westlife
Shane Filan, born on July 5, 1979, in Sligo, Ireland, is the youngest of seven children of Peter (1942-2020) and Mae Filan (née McNicholas) (1937-2019), who hailed from Roscommon and Mayo respectively. From a young age, Shane worked behind the counter at his parents' diner, the "Carlton Café," in Sligo. He attended a local Catholic primary school and later went to Summerhill College, where he met future Westlife bandmates Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. The trio participated in a school production of "Grease" and performed at the Hawkswell Theatre, which played a crucial role in their early careers.

Credits: Irish Independent

As a child, Shane was a fan of Michael Jackson, citing the singer as his inspiration to pursue a music career. Before joining Westlife, Shane studied business and accounting.

Credits: Shane Filan


Six as One, IOYOU and Westlife (1997–2012)

Before joining Westlife, Egan and Feehily were in a band with Filan called Six as One, which later became known as IOYOU. They were joined by fellow Sligo natives Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron, and Michael "Miggles" Garrett. Filan co-wrote the IOYOU song "Together Girl Forever." For six months, Shane's mother, Mae Filan, persistently tried to contact Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, eventually succeeding in discussing her son's band with him. Following this, three members were dropped, and the remaining three—Filan, Egan, and Feehily—set out to find two more singers. Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden joined them, forming the band initially named Westside. Due to the existence of several other bands with the same name, they eventually changed the band's name to Westlife. Their debut album, titled Westlife, was released in November 1999.

Credits: RTé

With Westlife, Filan has achieved remarkable success, earning twenty-eight platinum discs and selling 55 million records worldwide. In his 2014 book, My Side of Life, he revealed that in 2001, he was the first member of Westlife to be offered a solo record deal but turned it down due to his fear of going solo.

Credits: Daily Mail

Solo career, You and Me (2012–2014)


On October 20, 2011, Westlife announced their decision to split and go their separate ways after completing their 2012 Farewell Tour. In December 2011, reports emerged that Filan was close to signing a solo deal with one of several competing UK record labels. Filan and his manager, Louis Walsh, had been in discussions with several labels. "There's four, possibly five labels so far who have made it clear that they want to sign Shane," a music source told showbiz writer Paul Martin.

In a March 2012 interview with Paul Martin, Filan mentioned that he would be signing within the next few weeks, saying, "It's exciting but, of course, I'll be nervous. It's only natural when you're coming out of a band after 14 years, you don't know where your life's going to take you."


Credits: RTE
In 2013, Filan officially announced that he had signed a record deal with UMG subsidiary London Records worth 20 million British pounds. UMG had previously offered him a solo deal in 2001, making him the first member of Westlife to receive such an offer, but he had turned it down. For this new deal, Filan revealed that he had spent the past 12 months writing songs and recording in both the US and the UK, and that a forthcoming single and album would be released later in the year.

On May 10, 2013, he announced the release of his first single, along with three other tracks. In July, these were revealed to be "Everything to Me," "Everytime," "Today's Not Yesterday," and "Once," with the release date set for August 25.


On September 10, 2013, Filan released "About You," the second single from his album You and Me, followed shortly by the album's release.

Right Here (2015)


Following the Westlife split, his bankruptcy, the You and Me Tour, and the release of his debut autobiography, My Side of Life, Shane Filan announced on March 13, 2015, that he was working on his second studio album, Right Here. The album was primarily recorded in London and Denmark and featured collaborations with renowned artists such as Cutfather (The Saturdays, JLS), Jez Ashurst (Will Young, Gabrielle Aplin), Jon Maguire (Union J), Tre Jean-Marie (MNEK, Jason Derulo), and Girls Aloud. Right Here was released on September 25, 2015, and it debuted at No. 1 on the Irish Album Charts in its first week.


Love Always (2017–2018)

On August 25, 2017, Shane Filan released his third studio album, Love Always, and announced his upcoming Love Always Tour for 2017.

Previously, in April 2010, an unreleased solo song by Filan titled "Beautiful in White" leaked on the Internet, but it was mistakenly credited to Shayne Ward instead of Filan. During this time, Filan also performed a duet with Irish country singer Nathan Carter. The album reached No. 5 on the UK Album Charts, making it Filan's highest-charting album in the United Kingdom.

Credits: VIP Magazin

In 2018, Filan also achieved significant success in Asia, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. "Beautiful in White" was particularly well-received in Asia.


Westlife reunion with new single, album, and tour (2018–present)


On October 3, 2018, Westlife announced their reunion as a four-member group. In 2019, they released four singles written by Ed Sheeran. The group embarked on a highly successful 50-date tour called "The 20 Tour," celebrating Westlife's 20th anniversary since the release of their debut single in 1999. On November 15, they released their 13th studio album, Spectrum.

Credits: Official Charts

With Westlife, Shane has received twenty-eight platinum discs and sold 55 million records worldwide.

Personal life


Shane Filan married his childhood sweetheart, Gillian Walsh, on December 28, 2003, at Ballintubber Abbey, followed by a reception at Ashford Castle in Ireland. Gillian, who is the cousin of fellow band member Kian Egan, makes Filan and Egan cousins-in-law. The couple has a daughter Named Nicole born in 2005 and two sons born in 2008 Patrick and 2010 Shane Jr. .

Credits: Gillian Filan

Shane and his eldest brother, Finbarr, co-managed Shafin Developments, a property development company. Unfortunately, the company was placed in receivership in May 2012, and Shane was declared bankrupt a little over a month later after suffering significant losses in Ireland's property market crash.

Credits: Irish Mirror