Paddy Cole Band / Superstars Feature (1974-198?)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
One of Ireland's most respected musicians,
Paddy Cole started his career with the Maurice Lynch Band before
moving on to the legendary Capitol Showband in the 1960's. When
Brendan Bowyer and Tom Dunphy left the Royal Showband, they tapped
Paddy to play sax and serve as bandleader for their new venture,
The
Big Eight. Also in the Big Eight was Twink, as well as Paddy's old
Capitol mate, Mickey O'Neill on drums. After a relatively short
time, Twink left the band, unable to mesh the hectic schedule of six
months in Las Vegas and six in Ireland with her family life.
Shortly thereafter, Paddy, feeling the same
way, announced his intention to leave the band to form a new outfit.
To his surprise, most of the band agreed and went with him. The
split made headlines in the late summer of 1974 and the new band,
The Paddy Cole Band, made their debut in the Tara Ballroom, Dublin
in October.
Leaving the Big Eight with Paddy were Jimmy
Conway (guitar), Michael Keane (keyboards), and Mickey O'Neill
(drums). Paddy was also able to coax Twink back on the road and
completed the band with some old friends, Mike Dalton (Capitol-bass), Ray Moore (ex Plattermen-trumpet), and ex-Bye Laws
vocalist, Pat Morris on vocals. The band played a mix of country and pop, along
with some Dixieland, very much in the style of the sixties
showbands. Although it was difficult in the beginning to shake off
the comparisons to Brendan Bowyer and the Big 8, the band was able
to establish itself with great musicianship and the vocal talents of
Twink and Pat. Unfortunately, the magic would not last.
An article in the January 16, 1975 issue of
Spotlight announced the band was releasing its first album on the
Top Spin label in the near future. In the July 3rd, 1975 issue
of Spotlight, Julie Boyd announced that Derrick Mehaffey (formerly
of the Sounds, Royal and most recently, the Conquerors) was making his debut as the
keyboard player and lead singer with the band. The move was publicised by announcing Twink and Derrick as the "Dynamic Duo."
Within a very short time however, the band's lineup
changed again with Colm Hughes (formerly with Harvest) joining the
band to replace Mickey O'Neill (as he was a drummer as well), and Jimmy
Smith (The Big Valley) replacing Jimmy Conway on guitar. Michael
Keane also left the band, leaving them as a six piece for a time. An
article about the band in the Top Rank Review in the September 18,
1975 issue of Spotlight denied Derrick was considering
leaving the band.
The Paddy Cole Superstars were on the road in
the late 70's and early 80's but in 1980 or 1981, Paddy left the
band, which for a time kept the name Paddy Cole's Superstars, even
though Paddy was no longer playing with the band. Eventually Paddy's
name was dropped and the band continued as Colm Hughes and the
Superstars.
More to come....
click on thumbnails for full image
|
Years |
Vocals |
Vocals |
Guitar |
Bass |
Drums |
Keys/Gtr |
Sax |
Trumpet |
|
1974 |
Twink |
Pat
Morris |
Jimmy
Conway |
Mike
Dalton |
Mickey
O'Neill |
Michael
Keane |
Paddy
Cole |
Ray
Moore |
|
1974 |
Twink |
|
Jimmy
Conway |
Mike
Dalton |
Colm
Hughes |
|
Paddy
Cole |
Ray
Moore |
June
1975 |
Twink |
Derrick
Mehaffey |
Jimmy
Conway |
Mike
Dalton |
Colm
Hughes |
|
Paddy
Cole |
Ray
Moore |
Sept
1975 |
Twink |
Derrick
Mehaffey |
Jimmy
Smith |
Mike
Dalton |
Colm
Hughes |
|
Paddy
Cole |
Ray
Moore |
1976
? |
Twink |
|
Jimmy
Smith |
Mike
Dalton |
Colm
Hughes |
Tony
Hughes |
Paddy
Cole |
Ray
Moore |
|
1979 |
Colm
Hughes |
|
|
|
Butch
McNeill |
Tony
Hughes |
Paddy
Cole |
|
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Paddy Cole
(sax), Colm Hughes (vocals), Tony Hughes (Guitar), Butch McNeil
(drums),
Davy Gallagher (unknown), Vincie Grey (unknown) and Micky McCarthy (unknown)
Discography
Mother Was Her Name
(Pat Morris)
Top Spin Records - Unknown - March, 1975
Saturday Night (Colm Hughes)
Top Spin Records - TSS.58 - April, 1976
Please Don't Tease / You Make My Pants Wanna Get Up and Dance
(Colm Hughes)
Unknown - Unknown - October, 1979
Baby Make Love (Colm Hughes)
Unknown - Unknown - October, 1980
Save The Bones for Henry Jones / Jimmy Magee Shuffle
Play Records - PLAY.246 - October, 1990
Audio Clips
Coming Soon
Where Are They Now?
 |
Twink (Adele King):
After leaving the Big Eight, joined Paddy Cole's band and
eventually had her own band for a short while. She then
retired from the "road" to focus on work in TV and Radio.
She had her own very successful series on RTE in the early
1980's. She was also one of the busiest session singers in
Ireland, appearing on literally hundreds of records. She
continues to perform in Pantomime and musicals in Ireland,
as well as TV, and is very active on the Irish entertainment
scene. In October, 2007, Twink joined Linda Martin (of
Chips) on stage in Dublin for "Menopause the Musical." |
 |
Paddy Cole: Paddy
left the Big Eight to form the Paddy Cole Band, which after
a few changes became the Paddy Cole Superstars. The
Superstars were on the scene longer than many of the other
bands from the era and kept reinventing themselves to stay
with the times. Today Paddy is one of the best known
proponents of jazz music in Ireland and tours continuously
withy his band playing major festivals and theatres. He also
hosts his own radio show these days on Dublin's FM 106.6.
|
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Pat Morris: If you
know more,
please let us know. |
 |
Jimmy Conway:
Jimmy still lives with his wife and four
children in Las Vegas and has done so since rejoining the Big Eight
and relocating permanently to Vegas when the band did in
1983. Jimmy, for a time, managed the only Irish pub in Las
Vegas. He still works there and works the odd gig with
Brendan Bowyer, D.J. Curtin and Michael Keane, all former
members of The Big 8 Showband. Info from Aidan Scannell.
|
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Michael Keane: After
a short stint with the Paddy Cole Band, like Jimmy, Michael
rejoined the Big Eight and moved to Las Vegas in the early
1980's. He is still there and performs occasionally with
Brendan and other members of the band. An update on October
21, 2007 from Jim McCaffrey tells us that Michael has now
returned to Ireland and is working in the car rental
industry. |
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Mickey O'Neill - RIP:
Mickey recently wrote us: I was looking at your website
(Capitol Showband) and saw that you wanted updated info on
me (Mickey O'Neill). I've lived in Las Vegas for the
past 25 years and was the drummer with Brendan Bowyer's
Royal Irish (known in Ireland as the Big Eight). I'm
retired, but still play some gigs with Michael Keane, Jimmy
Conway and D.J.Curtin (from the Big Eight and Kerry Blues).
Mickey lives in Vegas with his longtime partner Mary Schwartz
with his two sons Alan and Mark. Sadly Mickey lost his other
son, Michael in 2005 as a result of a car accident at the
age of 21. Further to this listing, Mickey sadly passed away
on June 15, 2010. A friend to the site before his death, our
sincere sympathies go out to his family and friends in
Ireland and the USA. |
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Mike Dalton:
Mike had previously been with the Capitol and
moved to the Virginians
in the early 70's and then on to the Paddy Cole Superstars
in 1974.
Today he lives in Askeaton, Co. Limerick. |
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Jimmy Smith: If
you know more,
please let us know. |
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