|
Airways |
|
April and the Silver Pennies
(70's
country band "April, Paddy Boy & the Silver Pennies" turned to pop in late 70's
early 80's) |
|
April South and her Band (In the early 80's the band dropped the
Silver Pennies name) |
|
Arrows, featuring Mick Roche [Dublin]
(thanks to Patrick Hoye) |
|
Bernie and the Tartans (Featured
Pat Roper and Jimmy Hogan) |
|
Billy Brown Band/P2/P3 (Billy's
band in 1971 after leaving the Freshmen...Billy passed away June 6, 1999) |
|
Boys n' Girls |
|
Branagan Brothers Band |
|
Brendan Bowyer and the Big 8 [Waterford]
(Brendan's Band after leaving the Royal--Tom Dunphy died in 1975) |
|
Brotherly Love [Sligo]
(The Duggan Brothers from Sligo managed by a very young Louis Walsh in mid 1970's) |
|
Brown and O'Brien (Band which featured Billy Brown and Mike O'Brien-now
in Canada-in mid 70's-our thanks to Alan Carr) |
|
Brush Sheils Band/P2 (Brush's solo band after Skid Row)
|
|
Butler-Dempsey Band |
|
Cahir O'Doherty and the Dazzle Band/P2
(After The Gentry and starring in "Joseph," Cahir
returned to the ballrooms) |
|
Candy/P2/P3
[Larne]
(our thanks to Patrick Hoye) |
|
Candy and Dynamite/P2 |
|
Carole and the New Blues [Dublin]
(After Lola left the New Blues, Carol Wallace joined in 1976 to front the band) |
|
Casablanca [Dublin]
(1985
national Song Contest) |
|
Cathal Dunne and Formula
(After winning the Irish Song Contest, Cathal's new band) |
|
Cathal Dunne and Stateside
(Cathal's first band...he now lives in the United States)
Feature |
|
Champagne |
|
Chessmen |
|
Cheeky Rascals (mid 70's name
after signing with EMI to avoid confusion with Amercian band, The Rascals) |
|
Chevy's |
|
Chips
(One of Ireland's top pop groups of the 70's
and into the mid 80's) |
|
Chocolate
Vehicle
[Dublin] (Formed
in 1971 to promote Jacob's Chocolates and toured the ballrooms) |
|
Circle, The
[Belfast]
(Six piece Belfast pop group from the early 70's) |
|
Clouds/P1
[Belfast]
(A pop band formed in 1970 and managed by Teddie Palmer of Rumble Band fame) |
|
Clowns/P2
[Dublin]
(A band formed in 1980 around the gimmick of dressing in clown paint...same stable as The Miami) |
|
Clubsound
[Belfast]
(Long
running Belfast based pop/cabaret group that features comedy in their act) |
|
College Boys
(A reincarnation of a group Teddie Palmer was with in the 60's) |
|
Colm C.T. Wilkinson/P2
(Won Irish Song Contest with "Born to Sing" in 1978, went on to International fame) His website |
|
Conquerors [Galway]
(One of the longest running "showbands" in
Ireland...still going after 30 years) |
|
Crack [Dublin]
(Pop/rock band formed by Steven Travers, from Crackers) |
|
Crackers [Dublin] (Formed by Aonghus
McNally & Stephen Travers after leaving Starband..became The Crack) |
|
Cruisers [Unknown] (Early
70's pop group) |
|
Daddy Cool and the Lollipops/P2/P3
(Pop band formed by showband legend Jim Farley) |
|
Denis Allen Band/P2
[Limerick] (member of
Top League & Dingaling, went solo after hit, "Limerick You're A Lady") |
|
Derek Dean and the Freshmen
(The lineup
may have changed through the years, but Derek Dean has always been there) |
|
Derrick and the Sounds
[Unknown]
(Fronted by
Derrick Mehaffey) |
|
Derrick and the Royal
(Derrick Mehaffey fronted the Royal in their final
days) |
|
Des Lee, Julie and Starband
(Des Lee formed Starband in mid-1978 after leaving the Miami) |
|
Diamonds
(Launched by Topline promotions December
1, 1978) |
|
Dickie Rock and his Band
[Dublin]
(Dickie's solo band after starting out with the Miami Showband in the 1960's) |
|
Dickie Rock and the Miami
[Dublin]
(one of the most famous of all the Irish showbands) |
|
Dixies
[Cork] (after
the departure of Brendan O'Brien & Joe Mac, the band featured Sandie
Jones, among others) |
|
D.J. Curtin and the Kerry Blues
[Tralee] (D.J. left to
join the Big Eight in the mid 70's and emigrated to Las Vegas) |
|
Dreams [Newry]
(A 1980's band that used the same name as the late
sixties, ealry 70's band) |
|
Duane Family |
|
Duggie Jane and Goldrush/P2 |
|
Duskey Sisters [Sligo/Ballina]
(Sandy, sister Barbara and cousin, Marian, joined the Fairways)
Feature |
|
Fairways [Ballina]
(featured Gary Street, real name Joe Conway, sadly passed away in 2003)
|
|
Fantasy/P2/P3/P4
[Unknown] |
|
Flint [Unknown] |
|
Frank Chisum [Omagh]
(we understand Ireland's top Elvis impersonator hung up his cape in 2000) |
|
Freedom
[Unknown] |
|
Fresh Boogie Band [Bangor]
(late 70's pop band) |
|
Freshmen
(One
of the first great pop bands with Billy Brown & Derek Deane--their
album, Peace on Earth,classic!) |
|
Gary Green and the Glamour Band [Galway] (Local promoter Marty Walsh assumed the stage name Gary Green) |
|
GB Band [Dublin]
(Geraldine's band in the early 80's) |
|
Gene and the Jury
[Unknown] (early 70's pop band) |
|
Gentry/P2/P3/P4/P5 (pop band that featured
Cahir O'Doherty before
the Dazzle Band,
and name used later by a rock group) |
|
Geraldine Brannagan & the
Brannagan Bros [Dublin]
(Geraldine married songwriter Phil Coulter) |
|
Gerry & The Merryboys |
|
Gerry & The Ohio/P1 [Tuam]
(one of the West of Ireland's biggest name bands for many years) |
|
Gibney & Donovan Band/P2 |
|
Gimik [Limerick]
(thanks to Patrick Hoye) |
|
Gina, Dale Haze and the Champions
(without a doubt, the top pop band in Ireland in the early 1980's) |
|
Ginger Morgan and His Band/P2
(Ginger was the former "pop" vocalist with Big Tom and the Mainliners before going solo) |
|
Ginger Morgan and Hot Fever/P2
(A name change only and later added a girl vocalist) |
|
Glen Curtin and the Galaxy Band/P2/P3 [Cork]
(Glen was with the New Blues and the Nevada before going solo in 1975) |
|
Glen Curtin, Lola and The New Blues [Cork] |
|
Glen Curtin, Tina and the Nevada [Dublin]
(Glen replaced Red Hurley in the Nevada in 1974 and
stayed for 12 months) |
|
Harmony Heights*
[Dublin] (Pop band '70-74 who played TV Club with many
International acts like Dana & Status Quo) |
|
Harry's Gang [Donegal] (Wilder
Brothers band became the Rascals after buying name from Ted Posonby)
|
|
Hollywood Stars/P2/P3 (Band formed in mid 70's around the the gimmick of dressing up like Hollywood movie stars)
|
|
Honey Bunch
[Unknown] |
|
Jambylia featuring Billy Donegan and Tricia
(still on the road today, 25 years later) |
|
Jamie Stone
[Dublin] (Dublin singer songwriter who enjoyed
some success in the mid 70's) |
|
Jane and the Monkeys |
|
Jim Farley and his Big band
[Dublin] |
|
Joanna and Tequila Sunrise
[Dublin]
(after hitting the scene in the 1982, the band is still on the go today)
Her webpage |
|
Joe Cuddy
(Cabaret artist that had a hit with "Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) |
|
Joe
Dolan and the Drifters [Mullingar] (click here for Joe Dolan's website)
(one of Ireland's biggest International stars) |
|
John Collier & the New Dimensions |
|
John Curtin and the Kerry Blues (I'm just guessing the John is D.J.'s brother...does anyone know for sure?) |
|
Johnny Carroll Band [Galway]
(former Magic leader went solo as the Man with the Golden Trumpet) |
|
Johnny Logan
(Winner of the 1980 & 1987 Eurovision Song Contest. Now spends most of his time in Germany) |
|
Johnny Peters and Star Trek [Dublin]
(Johnny was a cabaret artist in Dublin prior to breaking nationally in 1980)
|
|
Jones Gang (Sandie
Jones band in the late 70's) |
|
Joy
Starr and the Opportunity Band (winner of the Opportunity Knocks contest in late seventies) |
|
Jukebox/P2/P3 |
|
Jump The
Gun/P2
(formed in 1986 - Ireland's 1988 Eurovision entry
with Roy Taylor ex-Nevada & Peter Eades ex-Miami) |
|
Kaye Twins/P2/P3
(still on the go today) Their website |
|
Keith Kelly and Kansas City
(mid 70's pop band)
|
|
Kelly and Class
(Eileen "Kelley" was one of Ireland's earliest superstar female singers. With The Nevada before going solo)
|
|
Kenny Ryder and Punch [Thurles]
(Another incarnation of Kenny's solo band after leaving
Tweed) |
|
Kenny Ryder Superband
[Thurles]
(Former Tweed vocalist who left the band in the late 70's) |
|
Kerry
Blues
[Kerry]
(Band carried on after the departure of D.J.,
Curtin) |
|
Kim Newport Band
[Sligo]
(Sligo based band that toured from 1978-1983)
Her website |
|
King Creole
[Derry] |
|
Laurie Hartz, Karen & Solid Gold
|
|
Lola and the New Blues
(After Glen
Curtain left, band continued with Lola out front, Frank Gill was also a lead
singer) |
|
Lovers [Dublin] |
|
Luv Bug (LuvBug represented Ireland in Eurovision in 1986) |
|
Lucky Numbers/P2
[Limerick] |
|
Lyttle
People
[Belfast] |
|
Magic and the Magic Band [Galway]
(Formed as The Swallows,
changed band to Magic - Kevin Walsh was 1st Magic) |
|
Magic and the Swallows [Galway]
(Formed from Murphy and the Swallows by Johnny Carroll and Joe O'Neill) |
|
Maher Family/P2
[Drogheda] |
|
Marti, Mari and Argentina |
|
Mary Lou
(country singer turned to pop in the early 80's) |
|
Maxi [Dublin]
(of Maxi, Dick & Twink) |
|
Maxi, Dick
and Twink [Dublin]
(Ireland's first "girl" group, Maxi would later form
Sheeba) |
|
Memories [Dublin]
(One of the greatest pop/rock bands to come out of Ireland, excellent vocal harmonies.) |
|
Message [Dublin]
(formed by Mick Swan & Daire Doyle of the Memories after they left the band in the early 80's) |
|
Miami [Dublin]
(Originally Dickie Rock's backing band, 3 members killed in terrorist attack, reformed by Des Lee) |
|
Mick O'Hagan and Romance
(Mick
is Johnny Logan's brother & was with Sandie Jones Band before going out on his own) |
|
Mint Rock Showband
[Derry] (became the Stardust Showband in the
mid-70's) |
|
Mitch and the Edition/P2
[Unknown] |
|
Monkey
[Athlone]
(One of several incarnations of the gimmick based pop
band-see Tarzan and The Monkeys below) |
|
Nevada-featuring Red Hurley and Kelly [Dublin]
(one of the most polished and popular pop bands of the early 1970's) |
|
Nevada-featuring Tina and Glen Curtin
(After Red Hurley and Kelly left in mid 70's, Glen and Tina
stepped in) |
|
Nevada-featuring Roy Taylor and Karen Black
(Another pair of vocalists that fronted the band in the early 80's) |
|
Ohio, The [Tuam]
(Gerry Cronin's band) |
|
Paddy Cole Superstars
(After leaving Big 8, formed the Paddy Cole Superstars) |
|
Pam and Fiesta (band featured Pam Courtney, who
went on to form Wexford in 1980) |
|
Pat Tynan and the Sands
(a
later lineup of the famous 60's showband) |
|
Patricia and The Crackaways [Tullamore]
(early 70's pop band...thanks to Patrick Hoye) |
|
Pat Roper & the Spotlights [Unknown] |
|
Peter Boy & The Trend/P2/P3 [Derry]
(Peter's real name was Peter Roddy) |
|
Pirates featuring Liam and Emily [Limerick] |
|
Playboys [Lifford] |
|
Pluto/P2 [Killybegs] (husband and wife team, Paul and Mary Gallagher formed this pop group in the mid 70's) |
|
Popcorn [Mullingar] (early 70's pop group...our thanks to Patrick Hoye)
|
|
Professionals [Mullingar] (mid 80's group
featuring two of the original Drifters...our thanks to Patrick Hoye) |
|
Rascals [Letterkenny]
(Originally known as the Denver Showband, then Section One, featured Ted Ponsonby)
|
|
Real McCoy (featuring
Tina Reynolds)
(One of the first "pop" acts to break big in the Irish ballroom scene) |
|
Red Hurley and his Band [Dublin]
(Red Hurley left the Nevada in 1974 to go solo) |
|
Reform [Limerick]
(Limerick based pop-rock band that had several chart hits in Ireland) |
|
Rob
Strong and Las Vegas/P2 (Rob goes Hollywood and we think a girl singer was also in
this band, but we're not sure) |
|
Rob
Strong and the Plattermen (One of the original pop/rock/soul groups, patterned sound on Blood, Sweat and Tears) |
| Rob
Strong and the Rockets (Band formed by Rob Strong after leaving Las Vegas) |
|
Rockabilly Rebels/P2
[Donegal] (Early 80's five
piece formed by Martin Gildea) |
|
Rock Stewart and the Plattermen (Replacement singer Rock Stewart, after departure of Rob Strong) |
|
Roemance (80's pop band fronted by Roe sisters, Valerie and
Patricia...thanks to Patrick Hoye) |
|
Roly
Daniels, Kelley & the Nevada
(Roly left the Nevada to form Green County in
1971) |
|
Ronnie Medford, Tina & the Nevada (With the Nevada for a
short time, after Glen Curtin, before Roy Taylor) |
|
Royal Blues
(Showband turned pop in
early 70's) |
|
Royal Earls/P2
(Showband added female singer Sandie Jones in
early 70's) |
|
Royal Flush
[Co. Galway]
(Mid 80's pop band) |
|
Roy Taylor,
Tina & the Nevada
(Just prior to Tina's retirement in 1978, Roy replaced Ronnie
Medford) |
|
Roy Taylor, Karen Black & the Nevada
(Karen replaced Tina for one of the final lineups for the famous pop band) |
|
Sahara [Dublin]
|
|
Samba & the Philosophers/P2 [Galway]
(later version of the Philosophers, a Galway based rock/pop group of the early 70's) |
|
San Bernadino |
|
Sandie Jones & the Boyfriends/P2
(Sandie's
first "showband" launched in late 1973) |
|
Sandie Jones Big Band Show
with Pat Lynch
(Sandy's band in the mid 1970's) |
|
Sandie Jones Band/P2/P3 (Sandie represented Ireland in Eurovision in 1972 with "Ceol an Ghra," sung in Irish) |
|
Sands [Dublin]
(formed when members of the Miami broke away from
Dickie Rock in the late 60's) |
|
Satisfaction |
|
Scripto [Letterkenny] (Letterkenny based rock/pop band
that toured in the mid 70's) |
|
Shaft [Unknown] (mid
70's pop band) |
|
Shampoo [Portran] (Started
life as The Palms in 1970 and emigrated to Mexico, returning as Shampoo in 1978) |
|
Shaun O'Dowd and Ding-A-Ling [Limerick]
(Former member of Tommy Drennan's Top League went on his own in 1975)
|
|
Sheeba
[Dublin]
(Featured Maxi, of "Maxi, Dick and Twink" fame, a three girl "supergroup" formed in 1978)
|
|
Shorty & The
Heartbeats [Belfast]
(Formed
in 1983, one of the North's most popular dance bands) |
|
Sk'Boo [Belfast]
|
|
Some People [Dublin]
(Early 70's Dublin pop group featured Niall Byrne and
Tony Dunne)
|
|
Spring [Unknown]
(Early 70's pop group managed by the Freshmen)
|
|
Stage Two [Cork]
(Band formed by Joe Mac and Brendan O'Brien after the Dixies Showband.) |
|
Stardust Showband [Derry]
(formed
in 1976 and later managed by Liam Hurley, changed name to Honey Bunch in the
80's) |
|
Suite
2CU [Downpatrick]
(On the road in the late 80's) |
|
Sunshine
(Original lineup featured Irene McElroy & Shaun Magee
who both went to Chips) |
|
Supersound 76
[Unknown]
(short lived ten piece band in the mid
seventies-our thanks to Tom O'Connor for info) |
|
Superstars
(After leaving Big 8, formed the Paddy Cole Superstars) |
|
Swarbriggs Band/Winter [Mullingar]
(Jimmy & Tommy Swarbrigg of the Times went on their own
in mid 70's) |
|
Tarzan & The
Monkeys/P2
[Athlone] |
|
Teddie Palmer and the Rumble Band
[Belfast]
(After several Belfast based groups, Teddie went nationwide in 1969)
Feature |
|
Teddie Palmer Band
[Belfast]
(In 1979, Teddie dropped the Rumble Band name)
Feature |
|
Teddy Bears
[Magherafelt]
(formed by Brendan Quinn's brother, Davy) |
|
Times [Mullingar]
(The Times were formed by members of Joe Dolan's backing band, the Drifters) |
|
Thunderalley [Unknown]
(Formed from Colm Hughes Superstars) |
|
Tina
Reynolds [Dublin]
|
|
Tom Kelly Sound/P2
[Ballina] (Early seventies
precursor to the Fairways) |
|
Tomorrow's People
[Dublin] (Early seventies
pop band) |
|
Tommy Drennan Band
(Tommy's band
in later years) |
|
Tommy Drennan and Top League/P2/P3
[Limerick] (Tommy's band featured himself,
Sean O'Dowd, and Denis Allen!) |
|
