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Showband
The Irish showband was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six- or seven-piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and covers of pop music hits. The versatile music ranged from rock and roll and country and western songs to traditional dixieland jazz and even Irish Céilí dance, Newfie stomps, folk music and waltzes. Key to a showband's popular success was the ability to perform songs currently in the record charts. Some bands also did comedy skits onstage. The line-up usually featured a rhythm section of drums, lead, rhythm and bass guitars, a keyboard instrument, and a brass section of trumpet, saxophone and trombone. The band was fronted by one or two lead singers, who were assisted by other band members on backing vocals. Comedy routines were sometimes featured. The Irish showband, unlike the big band, played standing, and members would often step, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Miami Showband
The Miami Showband were an Irish showband in the 1960s and 1970s led firstly in 1962 by singer Jimmy Harte, followed by Dickie Rock and later by Fran O'Toole. They had seven number one records on the Irish singles chart. Band members Fran O'Toole, Tony Geraghty, and Brian McCoy were killed in the Miami Showband killings in 1975 during the Troubles when returning from a performance in County Down, Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland in an attack initially intended to convince the United Kingdom the band had been involved in smuggling explosives across the Irish border. The band reformed in 1976, but would disband in 1982, later reuniting and reforming. The Miami Showband played their final gig in 2015. Career The band was established in Dublin in 1962 by impresario Tom Doherty. He recruited an existing group, the Downbeats Quartet, comprising Joe Tyrell (piano), Tony Bogan (drums), Clem Quinn (guitar), and Martin Phelan (saxophone), and augmented them with singer Jimmy H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dickie Rock
Richard "Dickie" Rock (born 10 October 1936) is an Irish singer. He experienced much success on the Irish charts during the 1960s, but has continued on as a popular live act as well as occasionally hitting the charts ever since. Early fame Rock was born in the North Strand, Dublin and raised in Cabra on Dublin's Northside. Between 1963 and 1972, he was one of the frontmen of the Miami Showband (who were later in the headlines due to the Miami Showband killings incident). He had 13 top ten hits with the Miami Showband, including seven number ones. Dickie Rock and the Miami Showband were the first Irish artists to go straight into the number one spot with "Every Step of the Way" in 1965. During his time with the Miami Showband, Rock attracted the kind of mass hysteria normally reserved for The Beatles. In 1966, he sang for Ireland in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest with the song, " Come Back to Stay". He entered as a solo artist and finished fourth in the Contest. This song als ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Brown (Irish Musician)
William Brown (1943 – 6 June 1999) was a musician and artist from Northern Ireland. He was a singer, saxophonist, and pianist with The Freshmen, an Irish showband of the 1960s and 1970s. Life Brown was born in Larne, County Antrim in Northern Ireland. While studying at the Belfast College of Art he joined Billy McFarland's Showband. Later he formed The Freshmen with some friends. Through Brown's arrangements, the band were able to reproduce sophisticated vocal harmonies in their covers of songs such as "Papa Oom Mow Mow", "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena", and "Carpet Man".''Irish Independent'', "Farewell to a dashing midnight matinee idol", 10 June 1999 In a tribute to Brown following his death, Freshmen founder-member, Maurice Henry, described his late friend's pivotal role in the band: ''"You could say Billy was The Freshmen and without his talent and innovative musical skills we would certainly not have achieved as much, either as a showband or in our recordings.The '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brendan Bowyer
Brendan Bowyer (12 October 1938 – 28 May 2020) was an Irish singer best known for fronting the Royal Showband and The Big Eight, and who had five number one hits in Ireland. He was also renowned for having The Beatles open for the Royal Showband at a concert on 2 April 1962 at the Pavilion Theatre, Liverpool, England, some six months before the release of The Beatles first single "Love Me Do", in October 1962. Bowyer was regarded as one of the first headlining Elvis impersonators. Elvis Presley himself was a big fan of Bowyer's performances and would often attend Bowyer's concerts in the Stardust Resort & Casino, Las Vegas during the 1970s. Although born in Waterford, he relocated to Limerick with his family when he was two years old. There he was educated at the Model School and Crescent College, singing with the Redemptorist choir before returning to Waterford with his parents. Career Brendan Bowyer began his career with the Royal Showband in 1957. His ability to tailor Ame ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Dixies
The Dixies were an Irish showband based in Cork, and which have performed and toured for over 40 years from its inception in 1954 until the late 1990s. Formed in 1954 as "The Dixielanders" the band originally featured Joe McCarthy (drums), Sean Lucey (clarinet) and Theo Cahill (classical flute, trombone, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, and full arrangement). They soon changed the band's name to the Dixies and became one of the most popular Irish musical acts of the 1960s when showbands were then at their height in Ireland. The band's line-up changed over the years but McCarthy, Lucey and Brendan O'Brien were among the longest serving. In 1964, the band signed with PYE Records. The band had their biggest hit in 1968 when their version of the Leapy Lee hit " Little Arrows" made No. 1 in the Irish Singles Chart for one week, preventing Leapy's version making the chart there. Brendan O'Brien and Joe Mac also formed a band, Stage Two, in the early 1970s. This was somewhat succ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Freshmen (band)
The Freshmen were among the most popular Irish showbands of the 1960s and 1970s. They specialised in recreating the complex vocal harmonies of international acts such as The Beach Boys and The 5th Dimension. They had nine top 20 hit singles in Ireland, including a reworking of The Rivingtons' song "Papa Oom Mow Mow", featuring the deep voice of lead singer, Derek Dean. Formation The Freshmen were formed in 1962 in Larne, Co. Antrim in Northern Ireland. The initial line-up changed over the nearly two decades of the band's existence as members came and went. Apart from Derek Dean, members included keyboard player, saxophonist, and singer, Billy Brown, who also arranged their trademark vocal harmonies, Damien McElroy (guitar), Torry McGahey (bass), Maurice Henry (saxophone), Sean Mahon (trumpet/trombone), and David McKnight (drums). The Freshmen supported The Beach Boys on their 1967 Irish tour. At the Belfast gig was a young Rory Gallagher, who later recalled (in conversation wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces of Ireland, Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision_type2 = Regions of Ireland, Region , subdivision_name2 = Southern Region, Ireland, Southern , subdivision_type3 = Counties of Ireland, County , subdivision_name3 = County Waterford, Waterford , established_title = Founded , established_date = 914 , leader_title = Local government in the Republic of Ireland, Local authority , leader_name = Waterford City and County Council , leader_title2 = Mayor of Waterford , leader_name2 = Damien Geoghegan , leader_title3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the List of islands of the British Isles, second-largest island of the British Isles, the List of European islands by area, third-largest in Europe, and the List of islands by area, twentieth-largest on Earth. Geopolitically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Ireland), which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. As of 2022, the Irish population analysis, population of the entire island is just over 7 million, with 5.1 million living in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland, ranking it the List of European islan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballina, County Mayo
Ballina ( ; ) is a town in north County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountains to the east and the Nephin Beg Range, Nephin Beg mountains to the west. The town occupies two barony (Ireland), baronies; Tirawley on the west bank of the Moy River, and Tireragh, a barony within the County of Sligo, on its east banks. , the population of Ballina was 10,171. History According to ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', the first signs of settlement on the site of the town date from around 1375 when an Augustinians, Augustinian friary was founded. Belleek, now part of the town, pre-dates the town's formation, and can be dated back to the 16th century. Ballina was founded as a garrison town in 1723 by O'Hara, Baron Tyrawley, Lord Tyrawley. Belleek Castle was built some time later, between 1825 and 1831. Pre-history The Dolmen of the Four Maols is located on 'Primrose Hill' behi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Askeaton
Askeaton (, Waterfall of Géitine, also historically spelt Askettin), is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. The town on the N69, the road between Limerick and Tralee, is built on the banks of the River Deel some 3 km upstream from the estuary of the River Shannon. Among the historic structures in the town are a castle dating from 1199 and a Franciscan friary dating from 1389. The castle was abandoned to the English in 1580 – its walls blown up by the fleeing defenders – after the fall of Carrigafoyle Castle during the Desmond Rebellions. Askeaton was a constituency in the Irish House of Commons represented by two members until the dissolution of the parliament in 1801 Desmond Castle The focal point of the town is the Desmond Castle, which stands in the center of the town on a rocky island on the river Deel. This noble building has protected Askeaton since 1199, when the castle and its rights were given to Hamo de Valoignes, the Justiciary of Ireland between 1197 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cork (city)
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city's boundary in 2019, its population is over 222,000. The city centre is an island positioned between two channels of the River Lee which meet downstream at the eastern end of the city centre, where the quays and docks along the river lead outwards towards Lough Mahon and Cork Harbour, one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Originally a monastic settlement, Cork was expanded by Viking invaders around 915. Its charter was granted by Prince John in 1185. Cork city was once fully walled, and the remnants of the old medieval town centre can be found around South and North Main streets. The city's cognomen of "the rebel city" originates in its support for the Yorkist cause in the Wars of the Roses. Corkonians sometimes refer to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buttevant
Buttevant ( or ''Ecclesia Tumulorum'' in the Latin) is a medieval market town, incorporated by charter of Edward III of England, Edward III, situated in North County Cork, Ireland. While there may be reason to suggest that the town may occupy the site of an earlier settlement of the Donegans, Carrig Donegan, the origins of the present town are clearly and distinctly Normans, Norman, and closely connected with the settlement of the De Barry Family, Barrys from the 13th century. Here they built their principal stronghold in North Cork. Buttevant is located on the N20 road (Ireland), N20 road between Limerick and Cork (city), Cork and the R522 road (Ireland), R522 Regional road (Ireland), regional road. The Dublin–Cork rail transport in Ireland, railway line passes by the town, but there was a station (now closed) from which at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, newly raised battalions of the Royal Munster Fusiliers and the The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Royal Dubl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
