I met Don Baker, Ireland’s renowned musician, song-writer, actor and author in the rather informal setting of a small pub as he suggested. Having read ‘The Winner in Me– Don Baker’s Story’ by Jackie Hayden, in which all the different types of therapy he has gone through to overcome alcoholism are documented, I am surprised at the choice of a pub for our meeting.

He tells me “I didn’t drink for sixteen years. I was suffering from depression and I was drinking very heavily because of depression. I spent years and years in therapy and I finally discovered that my problem wasn’t with alcohol. Alcohol was a symptom of the depression, a manifestation of my panic attacks. I labelled myself an alcoholic for a long time, but I have to watch my step. I only drink a pint or two of Guinness these days.”

Don was born 26th August 1950 and lived his first years in Whitehall, Dublin. His father and mother had a turbulent relationship and his father was an alcoholic.

He went to hospital at the age of seven because he contracted TB and here he met a harmonica player who taught him the basics. He spent much of his youth in and out of prison and institutions. It was during his last time in jail that he began to learn the guitar from Jeweller Roe, another prisoner, on a plastic toy guitar that he put strings on using catgut from a tennis racket.

A good friend introduced Don to the blues while he was living in the Corporation Buildings. He spent the next ten years travelling and playing the blues across Europe. It was during this time that he began drinking excessively until, years later, he finally sought help.

In 1979 he was asked by the ‘Late Late Show’ to write a song about inner city Dublin sung by ‘The Jolly Beggarmen’ which went to number 2 in the Irish charts.

Nowadays Bono regards him as “the greatest harmonica player in the world” and Charlie McCoy described him as “the best rock and blues harmonica player.”

Don always seems to have something on the go so it comes as no surprise when he tells me, “I’ve been studying piano for four years– I started when I was fifty. I’m up to grade three now. I enjoy it immensely– lately I discovered the musician Debussy and he just blows my mind. It’s very humbling to listen to someone like him. It makes you realise how much you don’t know.”

His time is constantly occupied with acting, practising, writing songs and music books. He is the author of several instruction books on the harmonica, which are distributed around the world in several languages in addition to five teaching videos.

He also adjudicates bi-annually at the World Harmonica Championships in the blues category. He says the reason for his demanding schedule is, “I’ve got this craving for learning. It’s why I read so much and write so much. It’s just I have this thing in me– I don’t know what it is but I’m happiest when I’m learning something.”

Don’s honesty in response to questions about his music surprises me. “It’s strange for me to say this, being involved in music, but I don’t like the music business because music is the last thing the business is about. It’s about hype and glamour, I mean I’ve been to Hollywood but I couldn’t stand the place. I auditioned with people like Gene Hackman and Denzil Washington.” Don obviously wasn’t impressed by these Hollywood superstars.

Don has been entertaining audiences all over the world for nearly 35 years so he has finally reached a point of contentment with his many accomplishments. “I’m fifty-four. I’m not craving notoriety or fame and I’m not materialistic. If I’ve enough money to get me through the week I’m as happy as Larry.

“I’ve no financial ambitions. I sell albums going from gig to gig and I have my own record company so I’m under no pressure to record. It took a lot of years to get to this point: in the beginning I made albums that I was told to make because it was the right thing to do and I went along with it.”

His acting career commenced after he played the part of Joe McAndrew (head of the IRA) opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Jim Sheridan’s ‘In the Name of the Father’. He has since played parts in other films such as ‘Mystics’ and ‘On the Nose’ with Robbie Coltrane and Dan Ackryod.

His first television soap role was in ‘Fair City’ where he played gangster Thomas Flynn. “I enjoyed the first few films I did but then after that it got boring. There’s no organisation on most sets, it’s just a bit ridiculous.”

He tells me about one movie where he had to be on location. “I had to get up every morning at 5 am and hang around the set all day long and then finally at 7 pm that evening I did a walk-by scene. When you are actually doing scenes it’s brilliant. Waiting around is a nightmare. I like to act and I think I’m a good actor.”

The fame that goes with his career bothers Don most though. “I can’t go anywhere, not just in this country. I was in Africa last year for the month of January and I was walking down the beach when this guard said to me, “Papa from Hollywood.” That’s in Africa: imagine what it’s like in America.

“I love people, I love conversation and I don’t mind signing autographs. The difficulty with the fame thing is that people don’t realise they are interviewing you. They’re not having a conversation with you. Life is like one constant interview. It is hard to cope with sometimes. I find it hard to get a bit of peace. No matter where I go there will always be somebody.”

On ‘States of Fear’, the documentary detailing Ireland’s industrial schools, Don spoke about the horrific abuse he and others suffered at the hands of the Catholic religious order running the notorious Daingean institution in Co.Offaly.

Don Baker may not be inclined towards religion, but he is interested in the spiritual aspect of life, as he says himself, “You would have to be pretty arrogant to deny God’s presence, and I’m not even religious. I don’t go to Church and I’m not part of any persuasion. I think people need to understand the difference between religion and spirituality. If you want to water a plant you don’t water the leaves, you water the root. The root of us humans is the spirit.”

“I don’t think there is any such thing as death. Not only do I lean towards reincarnation, but also I think that, on a real practical level, we could be being reincarnated every week. A miracle is just a shift in perception– it’s not like the river opening up or a mountain falling down or Lourdes or any of that kind of thing. But there are miracles happening all the time. A miracle really is a shift in perceiving what is correct for you.

Everything around us started with a thought, that’s what the Bible means by “the word became flesh.” I studied all this stuff and whatever sat well with me, I bought it and whatever didn’t, I rejected.” Don has lectured in philosophy in All-Hallows College and was to give a talk the following night on the subject of depression.

Recently he has been touring around Ireland playing smaller, more intimate venues like The Green Room, Holiday Inn, Pearse Street.

Don Baker will be appearing at the Holiday Inn on August 13th, 20th and 27th. During his final show he will be playing with Finbar Furey and Ronnie Drew.

The three of them are fondly known as ‘The Three Legends’, which Don jokingly says really means ‘The Auld Ones’. Further information can be found on Don’s website www.donbaker.ie or by phoning the Holiday Inn at 6703666.