Dana reveals financial highs and lows: Eurovision icon reflects on a life in money, music and public service

Dana Scallon, the 75-year-old singer best known as Dana who won Eurovision in 1970 with All Kinds Of Everything, offers a candid look at the financial arc of a life in show business and public service. In a wide-ranging interview, she recounts triumphs, mishaps and the steady, practical approach that has underpinned her career and family life. Now based in Galway with her husband, Damien, the couple has four children and eight grandchildren, and Scallon notes that the aim is to remain financially self-reliant as they age.

Her upbringing in a working-class family in Londonderry shaped her outlook. Scallon recalls her parents’ philosophy: they taught her to "help whoever you can with whatever you've got," even though money was scarce and the family lived in a council house. Her father, Robert, was a trumpeter by heart who worked as a barber and managed her early career, while her mother, Sheila, was a working mum with a strong musical tilt that helped spark Dana’s talents. They supported her training in piano and ballet, with relatives contributing where they could. It was a family story of frugality and support, not extravagance. A penny-a-day bus fare in primary school funded a habit of walking and a fondness for Walkers toffees, a detail that underscores the everyday small economies that formed Dana’s early money memory.

Her first paid work came at 14, a summer job at a Bazooka bubble gum factory in Essex where she was tasked with checking wrappers. She says she saved what she earned for her mother, a theme that would recur as life grew more complex. The late 1970s brought new pressures, including a period in September 1976 when she lost her voice and required urgent vocal-cord surgery just as her father suffered a heart attack. Dana describes this as a pivotal moment when she became the breadwinner and had to navigate a five-year recovery from illness that prevented her from performing, touring or pursuing the familiar routines of her career.

The profile turns toward high points and the economics of fame. By 1974-75, Dana had her own BBC television series, A Day With Dana, and a run of hit records that opened doors to appearing on prime-time programs hosted by legends such as Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper, and Les Dawson. She recounts the thrill of those moments and a near-miss auto mishap that prompted Les Dawson to remark on their late arrival as they left a battered car: a reminder that the financial rewards of fame came with real-life risks. She also notes a personal connection to music royalty; when she recorded George Harrison’s Isn’t It A Pity in 1971, Harrison sent a kind message expressing appreciation for her rendition.

In 1988, a lavish, all-expenses-paid stretch to Hawaii followed by a first-class cruise was paid for by her agents after she performed two concerts on a three-week voyage. Illness en route limited her participation to one show, but the experience underscored the envelope of professional opportunities that money could fund for a performer of her generation. Dana’s most financially fruitful period, she says, came in 1974-75, when television and hit records created multiple streams of income and opened doors to television appearances across the UK and Ireland.

Her financial habits blend caution with generosity. She describes herself as a saver and a spender in equal measure, explaining that at her age there isn’t much incentive to hoard money, but she still prioritizes work-related purchases and family gifts. She enjoys buying for her grandchildren and notes that shopping isn’t a hobby she relishes, preferring to acquire what she needs when she needs it. A prominent example of an audacious purchase was a stained-glass window bought in 1973 for about £800 in Estoril, Portugal—an object she hoped to install in a future London home. The window never left its steel box; she later sold the London house and remains unsure of its fate, a reminder that not all splurges translate into lasting value.

Dana and Damien expanded their financial footprint with real estate. In the early 2000s, they bought a five-bedroom house on approximately an acre near Galway for about €500,000, a property that has served as a home base for their family and now also hosts a studio where their younger son Rob produced a new version of Dana’s Christmas hit from five decades ago. The couple’s awareness of asset volatility is reflected in a past decision to buy a hillside plot in Birmingham, Alabama, for around $60,000 that was never developed. The property was bought back by the seller a few years later, mitigating further loss but illustrating the kinds of speculative bets that can accompany a public figure’s finances.

A contrasting decision that paid off occurred in 1983, when Dana and Damien purchased a three-bedroom top-floor flat in St John’s Wood, north London, for about £160,000. They lived there for several years before returning to Northern Ireland. Dana recalls passing Abbey Road studios while in the neighborhood and notes she never recorded there; however, she did record Harrison’s Isn’t It A Pity and received a personal compliment from the Beatle, a moment she cherishes as part of a career defined by connections, not just numbers. In terms of long-term security, she says they have a pension and credit a disciplined approach to planning, cultivated with the help of a “prophet of doom” accountant in the 1970s who helped set up multiple pension plans that proved useful over time.

The present moment is framed by a commitment to independence and family well-being. Dana confirms that she and Damien own property and that their Galway home is a hub for the family—their younger son Rob lives with them and uses the studio there for music production. The couple’s long partnership—47 years of marriage—shapes their financial outlook: they aim not to become a burden on their children as they age and strive for ongoing health and happiness as the foundation of any money decisions. Dana’s philosophy echoes in her response to how she would govern if she were Chancellor: focus resources on people facing physical and mental challenges, support young parents, and ensure that help can reach those who feel unheard, a nod to her time working in public life.

The former MEP emphasizes the emotional and practical dimensions of money. For Dana, financial priorities are deeply personal: maintaining independence, shielding her family from monetary strain, and using her platform to assist those in need. As she reflects on a career that includes Eurovision glory, a role in European politics, and a life built around family, Dana frames money not merely as numbers but as a tool for resilience and shared purpose. She has kept investments aligned with a broad family outlook and remains guided by the belief that a stable, autonomous life is the best foundation for continuing to create and perform.

Looking ahead, Dana remains active in the cultural sphere. She will present a show on Boom Radio on Christmas Eve, a programming note that underlines how her career continues to intersect with audiences around the world. The interview notes that this is Money—an ongoing exploration of how public figures navigate wealth, fame, and responsibility over the arc of a long and varied life. For Dana Scallon, money is inseparable from memory, music, and the generous instinct to give back to family and to those who helped her along the way.