Jason Donovan reminisces about 1989 - a pivotal year for the singer
He left Neighbours and had his breakthrough record
Last updated 19th Jan 2024
Singer and actor Jason Donovan recently announced he would be going on tour in 2025, so after more than 35 years in the entertainment business, we thought it was only right to get him into Greatest Hits Radio for Ken Bruce's Golden Years.
The 'Too Many Broken Hearts' singer, who has had huge success as a singer, TV actor and West End performer, explained to Ken when he chose 1989.
"I don't always look back, but one can't ignore is how significant that moment was for me," Jason explained to Ken, talking about how he left Neighbours to pursue a career in music.
"I guess coming out of Neighbours, I must have been 21... It seemed to just be a magic moment, with obviously my music career with Stock Aitken and Waterman, I decided to leave Neighbours. I wasn't quite sure of the future, and then I had this massive album ('Ten Good Reasons'), and life began again!"
'Ten Good Reasons' was a massive hit in the UK, reaching Number 1 in the albums chart, and spawning five Top 5 hits, and several Number 1s including the iconic duet with Kylie Minogue, 'Especially for You', and his breakthrough solo song 'Too Many Broken Hearts'.
The 55-year-old went on to reveal how he became "obsessed" with wanting to be a pop star, turning down several acting opportunities after he left Neighbours.
Jason explained: "I knew that even if my music career didn't go off, that I could follow an acting career. In fact, I turned down a number of acting roles, because I just got obsessed by the music, and wanting to become a pop star, you know? Which I kind of managed to tick a box quite successfully."
Jason recorded two albums with Stock Aitken and Waterman, and revealed what it was like working with The Hit Factory.
"Working with someone like Stock Aitken and Waterman obviously meant it was quick slick and well produced and you know, people talk about 'The Factory'," Jason explained.
Continuing: "To me, it was really important to get stuck in and play live, even if at the time, that music wasn't really being played live too much."
The singer chose three great songs from his Golden Year, including Donna Summer's 'This Time I Know It's For Real', another song crafted by Stock Aitken and Waterman. And Jason explained why he chose that song: "I think Stock Aitken and Waterman were one of the greatest melody writers of a generation, you know, Mike Stock particularly knew how to carve a wonderful melody.
"If you listen to songsmiths, they will say that's a great song... Chord structures pretty much stay the same, but melodies always have to change. This is one of those songs, I'll be honest with you, that I wish I had from the top of their cassette cupboard."
He went on to reveal that actually, Stock Aitken and Waterman didn't have a bank of songs ready to go.
"They tended to create their songs on the day, so there was no such thing as, when you go to publishers back in the day, saying I want your song from the top of the shelf, I want your best song. They were just working at it, and they just worked towards the artist themselves. I think they knew with Donna Summer, they had to come up with an absolute smash."
During the interview, Jason also spoke about his upcoming tour 'Doin' Fine 25', which will start in February 2025. He said: "It goes back to my world tour in 1990, and I'll be honest with you, I haven't really drafted the landscape of the show, but I just want to go back to the optimism and the spirit of that time.
"I think that there's a lot of tracks in my catalogue and through my theatre career, that I haven't used in tours that I've done in the past. I really enjoy touring live and I enjoy the connection, the emotional connection."
Tickets are now available for Jason Donovan's tour
Take a look at tours coming up in 2024 and beyond:
ABBA - 'ABBA Voyage'
ABBA's virtual tour 'ABBA Voyage' started in May 2022. The tour sees the ABBA avatars accompanied by a 10-piece live band, all taking place in a custom-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.
The shows were due to run until October 2022, but due popular demand from fans, they will now run until 2026.
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan will be going on tour in February and March 2026 with his 'Doin' Fine Encore' tour. The singer said: "I am so excited about extending this tour. There were some places we were unable to visit on the 'Doin' Fine 25' tour for logistical reasons, so it's great to be able to go and perform in those venues.
"My performing career has been an incredible ride, and I can't wait to celebrate it by performing the songs that have been such an important part of my life. It's been a fantastic tour so far, and I look forward to sharing all those special moments with my fans."
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys have announced a series of intimate gigs, taking place in April 2026. 'Obscure Pet Shop Boys', are truly for the biggest fans of the band, as they'll be performing non-single album tracks and B-sides, from throughout their long career.
Toyah Willcox
To celebrate 45 years in the music industry, 80s legend Toyah Willcox will be heading on tour from 2025 to 2026, starting by supporting The Human League at a series of shows in the summer of 2025, before her HUGE tour gets underway in March 2026. Entitled 'Songs & Stories Tour 2026', she'll take the tour to 49 intimate venues across England, Scotland and Wales — finishing on 14th June 2026.
Toyah also has a number of gigs in October and December 2025, in celebration of the release of her new greatest hits album, 'Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah'.
Rick Astley
Rick Astley has announced a huge UK tour with special guest Gabrielle. The 'Never Gonna Give You Up' singer will perform across the UK with gigs in Glasgow, London, Liverpool, Newcastle and many more, in April 2026.
Paul Carrack
Paul Carrack will be on tour throughout April and May 2026, celebrating 50 years in the music business and the release of his album 'The Country Side of Paul Carrack'. The singer said of the tour: "There's no feeling like performing live with this band. We've been through it all together, and we're excited to bring something new to these incredible venues. It's going to be a big one."
James Morrison
James Morrison has announced a tour for 2026 celebrating 20 years since the release of his debut album 'Undiscovered'. The singer will perform throughout May and the beginning of June, playing songs from his 5x Platinum album, along with some of this biggest hits.
Billy Ocean
In October 2025, Billy Ocean announced dates for his Summer 2026 tour where he will be performing across the UK from May until August. The singer will be joined by special guest, former Wet Wet Wet and solo artist Marti Pellow.
Foreigner
'I Want To Know What Love Is' band Foreigner have announced two UK dates for June 2026. The band will perform their biggest anthems from their back catalogue at the very special concerts.
UB40
UB40 have announced a huge tour taking place in June 2026. The band are expected to perform many of their iconic classic hits from their back catalogue and some brand new tracks which will feature on their upcoming studio album, due for release in Spring 2026.
The Human League
'Don't You Want Me' band The Human League have announced they will be performing a big outdoor show in 2026. The band, who will be joined by special guests ABC, will be taking to the stage for this one-off show in Leeds.
Boyzone
In September 2025, Boyzone announced they would be reuniting for their largest gig ever. Due to take place in London on Saturday 6th June 2026, the band will be playing to 44,000 fans for their show called 'One For The Road: Live At Emirates Stadium, London'.
Beverley Knight
Beverley Knight has announced a huge UK headline tour for 2026 called 'Born to Perform'. The show will see Beverley perform some of her biggest hits as she also takes the audience on a journey through her career of music and theatre. The tour takes place throughout June 2026.
Westlife
After much excitement and teasing, the band revealed they will be playing across the UK in September and October 2026, as part of their 'Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour'. The band will start their UK leg in Aberdeen on Tuesday 29th September, before performing across the UK, ending with FIVE dates in Belfast (previously announced).
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