Biography
Who is Dons?
Early life and real name
Artūrs Šingirejs, better known by his stage name Dons, was born on April 10, 1984, in Brocēni, Latvia. He grew up in a musical family with a Belarusian father and a Latvian mother who performed as a soloist. His father was also an amateur guitar player. Dons has one brother and three sisters.
As a child, he studied piano at the Saldus Music School and later attended Saldus Art School. His mother taught him English from an early age, and he counts Freddie Mercury among his early musical idols. Before pursuing music full-time, he studied culinary arts and learned to play the guitar through self-study.
How Dons became famous
Dons gained widespread public attention in 2003 by participating in the Latvian reality television show Talantu Fabrika. After winning the competition, he briefly worked as a DJ host for Radio SWH Rock. He then released a duet album titled Viens Otram in 2004 with fellow contestant Lily, which became a commercial success in Latvia.
He followed this success by releasing his first solo album, Lights On, in 2006, which was performed mostly in English. He later shifted toward recording music in his native Latvian language. His second solo album, Lelle, marked his first release in Latvian and established his preferred musical direction.
Career highlights
Throughout his career, Dons has released numerous studio albums and won multiple accolades at the Latvian Music Recording Awards. He has won the Top Radio Hit award eight times for his most played songs. His album Varanasi, released in 2014, achieved gold status in Latvia and won Pop Album of the Year.
He has attempted to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest on multiple occasions, finishing second in national finals with songs such as My Religion is Freedom and Pēdējā Vēstule. He eventually won the Supernova competition in 2024 with his English-language single Hollow, earning the right to represent his country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Family and relationships
Dons was previously in a relationship with and married to fellow reality show contestant Linda Kalniņa, known professionally as Lily. The couple married in 2009 after living together in London and Los Angeles. Their marriage eventually dissolved, and they divorced in 2013.
The experience of his divorce served as direct inspiration for his single Pēdējā Vēstule from the album Varanasi. In his personal life, he is currently in a relationship with Madara Mālmane. He has generally kept details of his personal life private while continuing his music career in Latvia.
Birthday and age
Dons was born on April 10, 1984, which makes Dons 42 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Dons shares the date with 69 other famous people.
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