‘Happy’ video brings Pharrell Williams to tears

‘Happy Donegal’ included in Oprah video compilation

American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams was reduced to tears on Sunday after watching worldwide ‘Happy’ videos on Oprah Winfrey’s chat show. Photograph: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams was reduced to tears on Sunday after watching worldwide ‘Happy’ videos on Oprah Winfrey’s chat show. Photograph: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams was reduced to tears at the weekend after appearing as a guest on Oprah Winfrey's Oprah Prime show. The seven-time Grammy winner began to cry as he watched a compilation of 15 'happy' films made in different countries around the world.

The video montage, which shows people dancing in Slovakia, Taiwan, Dakar and Iceland, also included scenes from the Irish-made 'Happy Donegal' video.

“We put out the video on November 21st, all of a sudden boom,” Williams told Oprah. “It was no longer my song. “

“Why am I crying on Oprah?” asked Williams after watching the video.

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“It’s overwhelming because I love what I do and I just appreciate the fact that people have believed in me for so long, that I could make it to this point to feel that.”

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak is an Irish Times reporter specialising in immigration issues and cohost of the In the News podcast