DANIEL O’DONNELL believes the challenge facing the music industry pales into insignificance when thinking about the many lives lost to coronavirus in the past few months.
The Irish music legend said that while recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will be slow for live music venues and musicians alike, it will come eventually.
By contrast, he noted that those who have died and the families affected will never be the same.
O’Donnell told RSVP Live: "Getting back on the road and getting the shows up and running isn't significant when you think that people lost family members because of the virus.
"We will be back on stage and the country will recover but those who died will never recover."
Despite admitting he misses performing live and empathises with fellow singers and those involved in the industry, the country music star believes live music will return – eventually.
"I have always had a great connection with the audience down through the years," he said. "Music will be the last thing to recover and it is very uncertain.
"I can see that people are very concerned online. Music is about to the singers and the fans so it is important to everyone that we don’t let the music die."
In the meantime, the entertainer has been doing his bit to keep morale up both in-person and online, with a series of impromptu performances outside nursing homes and community hospitals across Ireland.
The gigs have proven a hit with elderly residents and fans watching and sharing clips on social media.
