Shane Filan was born on 5 July 1979 and grew up in Sligo, a small town in the northwest of Ireland.

MUSIC CAREER

Before Westlife, Filan was in a band known as I.O.U. In 1997, he attended an audition for a new Irish boyband, where he was spotted by Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, and Walsh approached him to join his new venture, Westlife. The three Sligonans joined the band along with Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden.

Filan, along with Mark Feehily, is the main lead singer (first voice) in Westlife.