Waterford Connections – Brendan Bowyer

Over centuries Ireland has been renowned for producing famous names throughout history, resulting in some of the greatest musical talent gracing stages and televisions screens.  Nestled in the south east of the country, Waterford city and County can proudly lay claim to famous names such as musicians, actors, academics, authors and many more talents.  Once a month, I will be featuring a famous personality whose roots are from Waterford City or County in a special feature called Waterford Connections. 

It will come as no surprise that this article will kick off with one of the greatest, and likely the most well-known celebrity to come from Waterford city, Brendan Bowyer. 

Brendan Bowyer

Brendan was Born in Bailey’s New Street, Waterford city on 12^th October 1938 and went on to become a legend in his own right. Kicking off his singing career with the Waterford Royal Showband, the first band to top the Irish charts, going on to take Great Britain and America by storm.

Brendan and the Royal Showband had six number one hits, the most famous being ‘The Hucklebuck,’ which went platinum internationally.    Visit Waterford Treasures Medieval Museum to see the hucklebuck shoes on display.  http://www.waterfordtreasures.com/bishops-palace/whats-inside/hucklebuck-shoes

The Royal Showband went on to become the most popular showband to ever come out of Ireland.  Voted No.1 Modern Dance Band in Great Britain and having The Beatles open as support band to their show in the Pavilion Theatre in Lodge Lane, Liverpool during their tour of Great Britain in the 60’s.

The band then went on to make a movie called “The One Nighters” which received an award at the Cork Film Festival in 1963.

Elvis Presley

Brendan and the Royal showband did not stop there, travelling across the Atlantic to America where they have become legendary in Las Vegas. Particularly Brendan himself, his idol “The King,” Elvis Presley, went to see him perform. Not many people can say their idol has done this!! It doesn’t stop there because Elvis had been so impressed by Brendan’s performance of “You Gave Me a Mountain,” that he later recorded the song himself and included it in his own programme.

In the early seventies, Brendan parted ways with the Royal Showband but remained living in Las Vegas with his family.  He went on to form another band called “The Big Eight,” taking Las Vegas by storm, performing in the Stardust throughout the seventies.

Brendan never forgot his native country and regularly returned to perform gigs, sometimes with his daughter Aisling.  He also remained a loyal Deise man, never forgetting Waterford he visited on several occasions over the years.  In 2011, he was awarded Freedom of the City of Waterford.  Sadly, Brendan died earlier this year on 28^th May 2020.  He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Stella, their children, and grandchildren.

Brendan Bowyer

A Legend

Brendan’s fame and longevity far surpassed the bands he performed in becoming a legend in the showband era with his gyrating hips and exciting performances bringing a revolution to Irish ballrooms and dancehalls. 

Irish Showbands

Brendan and the Royal showband began what was to become an Irish phenomenon by moving away from traditional music and orchestras, performing upbeat music with the aim to get people dancing.  They wore tailored suits and the line-up of a showband usually consisted of singer, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and a brass section of saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. From the late 50’s right through to the early 70’s showbands travelled throughout Ireland playing in ballrooms and dancehalls.

Once such local ballroom which hosted big names in showbands in the 50’s and 60’s is the Atlantic Ballroom in Tramore. 

In the 70’s The Atlantic Ballroom hosted the famous band, Thin Lizzie amongst other big names.  Sadly, as trends changed the Atlantic closed its doors as a music venue in 1978 where it then gained a licence to become a gaming arcade which it still is until the present day.

Next Month’s Waterford Connection  –  Val Doonican