Duffie / Butler-Dempsey Band Photo
Gallery (1971-1980?)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
We can't find a lot of info about Duffie through our normal research
channels. They started life as a four piece pop group on the Dublin
scene in 1971. However, they got little mention in the Beat columns
of Spotlight. The first mention of the band we found was in
September 1972 when Pat Egan reported the boys would be headlining a
concert in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. Said the leader of the
band, Fran Dempsey, "We want this to help lift us from being just
another pop group to being a respected bunch of musicians and
songwriters. This is the first time a comparatively unknown has
undertaken such a major step."
The original lineup of the four
piece was Fran Dempsey (guitar), Pearse Butler (drums), Dermot
O'Lenahan (bass) and Ben Weir (vocals and percussion).
At some point in 1973, it appears the band expanded to a five piece
and in December of the same year, took part in a theatrical
production called, The Scatterin at the Abbey Theatre. Fran Dempsey
played the part of Con Geraghty in the production and the band
provided backing for several numbers in the show.
In early 1974, the band signed
with new management and went after the ballroom circuit in a major
way. After 1974, we think the band more or less broke up and then
was reincarnated as the Butler Dempsey Band which moved into the
cabaret scene.
They were quite success in the
late seventies and performed a series of tribute show such as Elvis,
The Beatles and Neil Diamond. We're not quite sure when they packed
it in.
More to come.....
click on thumbnails for full image
