All About The Johnny Flynn Showband (1940's - 1972)

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The Story

Article by John Baird and Gerry Gallagher

The town of Tuam in Co. Galway, has earned a reputation as “the Showband capital of Ireland” because at one time in the early 60's, no less than six top class showbands called the well known market town home. The best known of these was the Johnny Flynn Showband, a musical combination with its roots firmly in the tradition of the Tuam Brass Band. This is not surprising as Tuam's bandmaster, Danny Kelly (senior) was a member of the original Johnny Flynn Dance band. 

The band's story starts long before the era of the showbands. Back in the 1940's, The Johnny Flynn Dance Band traveled the length and breadth of the West of Ireland. With Johnny on accordion, the band could play the standard dance tunes of the day, as well as a wide variety of ceili, Dixieland and country music. This is one of the distinctions that allowed them to provide what dancers wanted, a trait the band would carry for the rest if its history. The band's reputation was second to none and it was a natural that when the showband boom hit, Johnny would be right there in the thick of things.        

In 1958, Johnny cast aside the music stands and put together his first fully fledged "showband." The original lineup was: Johnny Flynn (organ/accordion), brothers Brendan Flynn (sax/clarinet) and Francie Flynn (bass), Danny Kelly (Jr.-trombone), Billy Potter (guitar), Frankie Hannon (drums), Ollie Maloney (trumpet) and Gerry Cronin (vocals).

The band was an immediate success and even out drew the top bands in the West of Ireland.  The band became one of the first five showbands to tour the United States in 1963. They toured America during the Lenten season, and while over there recorded a single featuring Gerry Cronin entitled You Took Her Off My Hands. It was never released here as the hole in the middle of the record was too large  for a standard record player. You Took Her Off My Hands (Now Please Take Her Off My Mind) / Hoots Mon Twist on Headline records. in New York, catalog number 1016.

In the early 60's, Ollie Maloney, Gerry Cronin and Billy Potter left to form the Ohio Showband. The Johnny Flynn Band continued to travel countrywide and had a huge following in the Northwest. More tours of the USA and trips to the UK were undertaken, and they took part in the New York St. Patrick's Day parade in 1963.

As like other bands there were many personnel changes  but the line up that made the most impression on the recording scene was : Johnny and Francie Flynn, Frankie Hannon, Jim Dalton, Danny Kelly, Roy Donnelly, Joe McIntyre (Sax) , Billy Kelly (Trumpet), Pete Creighton (Guitar) and vocalist Pat Smyth who had a No. 1 hit with “The Black and Tan Gun” in 1966. This fine line up also recorded many singles and an album entitled “The Magnificent 7” which covered much of the band's varied stage repertoire

Like all the Tuam bands The Flynn Band  featured many brass arrangements, this being their trademark and their varied dancing programme of pop, Dixieland, country, and ballads was well received by appreciative dancers. They had in their enigmatic drummer Frankie “Flash” Hannon a superb drummer and showman and his rendering of Fats Domino numbers were showstoppers to say the least.

In the early 1970's the end of the traditional showband line up was in sight, but Johnny Flynn continued on as The Johnny Flynn Sound until the end of 1972. This great showband has left us with a host of memories and will never be forgotten. They were great musicians all: names like Mickey Eagleton, Mickey Devaney, Billy Mc Glinchey, Patsy Haugh, Angelina Mc Donagh, Martin Murphy, and others were a part of this famous Showband.

Sadly Johnny Flynn died in 1996 preceded by Brendan Flynn, Billy Kelly, Frankie Hannon, Gerry Cronin, Ollie Maloney and more recently by Jim Dalton.  May all the deceased band members Rest in Peace.

Photo Gallery

Click on thumbnails for full images

Discography (partial list):

Singles:

Who Knows / Afraid to Go  (J. Flynn Showband with Roy Donn)
Decca Records - F.12141 - 1965
Black and Tan Gun  / Your Mother's Prayer  (J. Flynn Showband with Pat Smyth)
Emerald Records - MD 1033 - 1966
Tell My Little Girl Goodbye / The Fugitive (J. Flynn Showband)
Emerald Records - MD 1076 - 1967
The Dying Rebel / A Word or Two to Mary (J. Flynn Showband)
Emerald Records - MD 1129 - 1969
Banna Strand (Peter Creighton) /Heart Break Hill (Frankie Hannon) - J. Flynn Sound
Release Records - RL.554 - 1970
Cartello / Lagan Love / Magic Trumpet - (J. Flynn Showband)
Ruby Records - RUB.129 - 1971
Four Green Fields / Wandering Home (J. Flynn Showband with Pat Smyth)
Pye Records - 7N.60010 - 1972
Drowning My Sorrows / Playback - (J. Flynn Sound)
Hawk Records - HASP 318 - 1973
Today Tomorrow and Forever / Burning The Midnight Oil - (J. Flynn Sound with Angela)
IRL Records - IRL.229 - Unknown

Album:

The Magnificent Seven plus two = The Johnny Flynn Sound - (J. Flynn Sound)
EMI Talisman Records - STAL 1025 - 1972

Our thanks to Bob Merchant for assistance with this discography.

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