The Miami Showband | |
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| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
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| Website | themiamishowband |
The Miami Showband were anIrish showband in the 1960s and 1970s led firstly in 1962 by singer Jimmy Harte, followed byDickie Rock and later by Fran O'Toole. They had seven number-one records on theIrish singles chart.[1]
The band's career was interrupted at the height of their fame when three members – Fran O'Toole, Tony Geraghty, and Brian McCoy –were murdered in 1975 byloyalist terrorists, in a botched attack initially intended to convince theBritish government that the band had been involved in smugglingexplosives across theIrish border.[2]
The band reformed in 1976 but disbanded in 1982, later reuniting and reforming. The Miami Showband played their final gig in 2015.[3]
The band was established inDublin 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 Harte who at the time was a member of The Ambassadors Showband in Dublin, joined trumpeter Tommy O'Rourke, trombonist and vocalist Murty Quinn, and bass player Denis Murray. The group's first engagement was at the Palm Beach Ballroom inPortmarnock, and as the town ofPalm Beach in Florida is near toMiami, they were named the Miami Showband. They rapidly became one of the top showbands in the country. For family reasons, and to finish his education in early 1963 Jimmy left the Miami, by now a very successful band, and a replacement, Dickie Rock (at the time, a member of another group, the Melochords) was found. In December 1963 the Miami had their first single, a version of theElvis Presleyalbum track "There's Always Me" reached number one in the Irish charts They had four further number one hits over the next two years: "I'm Yours" and "From the Candy Store on the Corner" (both 1964), and "Every Step of the Way" and "Wishing It Was You" (both 1965).[n 1]
In 1966, the band were chosen to sing Ireland's entry in theEurovision Song Contest, and their song "Come Back to Stay" also reached the top of the charts. They also appeared on British TV, onSunday Night at the London Palladium andThank Your Lucky Stars.[5][6]
In 1967, four members of the band—Murty Quinn, Tommy O'Rourke, Denis Murray and Martin Phelan—split away to form their own group, The Sands. They were replaced by songwriter and singer Fran O'Toole, Paul Ashford, Pat McCarthy, Des Lee (born Des McAlea) and Brian McCoy. The group's final number one came with "Simon Says" (a version of the1910 Fruitgum Company song) in 1968. McCarthy and Tony Bogan later left and were replaced by Danny Ellis and Martin Brannigan. The group released an album,The Wind Will Change Tomorrow, in 1970, and in the early 1970s played a residency inLas Vegas and performed atCarnegie Hall.[7]
Popular with bothCatholics andProtestants, the Miami Showband regularly played to audiences on both sides of theIrish border throughoutthe Troubles and were known to some as the "IrishBeatles".[8] The band'ssaxophonist, Des Lee, would later recollect: "We entertained everybody. Didn't matter what colour, whatcreed, or where we were playing, whether it wasnorth orsouth at that terrible time in Northern Ireland. We looked upon it as giving two hours of fun to people to get away from the Troubles."[9]
In 1972, the group had another major change, when Dickie Rock left to front his own band. He was initially replaced in the Miami Showband at first by brothers Frankie and Johnny Simon and then, briefly, by Billy Mac (born Billy MacDonald). Following the sacking of Mick Roche (Billy Mac's replacement) in 1974, Fran O'Toole fronted the band, the group often being billed as "Fran O'Toole and the Miami".[10] The albumMiami Country was released in 1973. Line-up changes continued, and by 1975 the last remaining member of the original line-up, Clem Quinn, had left. The group then comprised Des Lee, Brian McCoy, Tony Geraghty, Fran O'Toole, Steve Travers and Ray Millar. Four of the band hailed from Northern Ireland: two of whom were Catholic; and two Protestant.[5][6][11]
On 30 July 1975, the Miami Showband performed a gig at theCastle Ballroom inBanbridge,County Down, Northern Ireland. The band played live for an estimated 450 people before drummer Ray Millar left to spend the evening with his parents inAntrim. The remaining five members of the band travelled south by minibus back toDublin.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. on 31 July 1975, the band were stopped at a bogus militarycheckpoint by gunmen dressed inBritish Army uniform in thetownland of Buskhill, outside ofNewry. All were ordered to exit the vehicle and line up by the roadside, facing away from the vehicle with their hands on their heads as individuals they initially believed were members of theUlster Defence Regiment searched their van for explosives or weaponry.[12][13] In efforts to allay any fears or suspicions, one of these individuals jokingly asked the band members, "Which one of you isDickie Rock?"[2] Upon hearing this, one of the Protestant band members, Brian McCoy, nudged bassist Stephen Travers' elbow with his own, reassuring him all was well and of his belief the individuals were members of theBritish Army.[14]
Unbeknownst to the band members, the individuals were actually members of aloyalist paramilitary group, theUlster Volunteer Force (UVF).[12][15] Two gunmen, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, attempted to hide atime bomb on the minibus, with the intention for the device to explode upon the band's reaching theRepublic of Ireland. However, the device exploded prematurely, killing both Boyle and Somerville and hurling the band's saxophonist, Des Lee, into a ditch.[16]
The remaining gunmen then opened fire on the band members, killing O'Toole (age 29), McCoy (age 32), and Geraghty (age 24), and wounding Travers. Lee escaped any further injury by feigning death.[16] Two servingUlster Defence Regiment soldiers and one former UDR soldier later received life sentences after having been found guilty of murder.[16]
The year after the killings, the Miami Showband regrouped and continued to perform. Des Lee fronted the band until leaving in 1978, later moving to South Africa. The group remained active until 1982, led by Charlie Chapman. They then split up and their management formed a new band, The New Miami, fronted by Caroline Allen. Another new band using the Miami name was formed in 1996, featuring Gerry Brown, brother of the singerDana.[6]
In August 2005, Lee, Travers and Millar reunited on stage at a Miami Showband Memorial Concert in Dublin. Following that, a tour was organised in 2008 with the trio being augmented by Gerry Brown, Johnny Fean (formerly of the bandHorslips), and Barry Woods.[17]
The Miami Showband played their final concert on 21 August 2015. The venue for this concert was a location in Banbridge, close to theCastle Ballroom, where the band had played on the evening prior to the UVF ambush.[3]
In an interview granted to the press prior to this gig, saxophonist Des Lea stated: "It will be a very fitting close in Banbridge; it's going to be a very emotional evening as we're back in the town where the massacre occurred. It's emotional and heart-wrenching, but I know Fran, Brian and Tony would be very proud."[3]
A monument atParnell Square North, Dublin, dedicated to the dead Miami Showband members, was unveiled at a ceremony on 10 December 2007 attended by Lee and Travers. TheTaoiseach,Bertie Ahern, said of O'Toole, McCoy and Geraghty:[18]
Their murder was an atrocity which had such a profound impact on everyone on this island. It is remembered with sadness to this very day.... We remember the affection in which they were held by people the length and breadth of Ireland. Their popularity crossed all boundaries and all traditions. They simply wanted to entertain everyone who had a love of music. At a dark time, they were a shining light for so many.
Tom Doherty died on 21 April 2009.[19] Former band members Martin Phelan and Paul Ashford (born 1950,Bray,County Wicklow) died in 2010 and 2011 respectively.[20]
A stamp was issued on 22 September 2010 byAn Post commemorating the Miami Showband. This was one of a series of four stamps issued in Ireland to celebrate the "golden age" of the Irish showband scene from the 1950s to the 1970s. The 55-cent stamp was designed with a 1967 publicity photograph of the band, fronted by Dickie Rock. Two of the band members killed in the massacre at Bushkill, Fran O'Toole and Brian McCoy, are also featured.[21]
a = Features Dickie Rockb – Features Clem Quinnc – Features Murty Quinnd – Features Des Leee – Features Fran O'Toolef – Features Brian McCoy[22][23]
