Who is brendan bowyer

He was such a nice man. He always had time for everybody. The Waterford man died at his home in Las Vegas surrounded by his wife Sheila, his three children and two grandchildren. He had a great life, he was a great artist and he had a great career. He could justly claim to be in the very top echelon of performers of the dancehall era.

His comparison to Elvis Presley is not an overstated one. He had time for everyone and I think he was basically a very shy person - he would have a few drinks after a gig to help deal with the fans. As well as his ultra-energetic standards like The Hucklebuck, Bowyer, who was a very emotional man, put huge energy into standards such as Love Me Dearest, Jerusalem and How Great Thou Art, which went down well with both Irish and American audiences.

As a showband singer and solo artist, he spent 62 years on the road on both sides of the Atlantic. In , his long-time friend and collaborator Tom Dunphy, also from Waterford, was killed going to a gig, which was a hugely traumatic event for the band. Bowyer eventually settled in Las Vegas, but returned to Ireland in the summer months. When the showband scene fizzled out, he became a fixture on the cabaret scene, most notably with a residency at Clontarf Castle.

He played his last gig almost six years ago at the Helix Theatre in Dublin with the Reeling in the Years show with Ronan Collins and a cast of characters from the heyday of the showband years. Bowyer fell ill after the first night and retired. Career Brendan Bowyer began his career with the Royal Showband in His ability to tailor American rock 'n' roll music to the tastes of Irish audiences, and his athletic, spirited on-stage performances made him a popular vocalist of the s showband era.

On 6 September , Brendan Bowyer and the Royal Showband became the first Irish artists to top the Irish singles chart, with the hit "Kiss Me Quick," which stayed at the number one position for seven weeks. They were to return to the top position later that year with "No More," and repeated the feat in with "Bless You.

By: Gerard Donaghy - 9 hours ago. By: Gerard Donaghy - 13 hours ago. By: Michael Murphy - 1 day ago. Share this article:. It happened when Brendan was performing in Las Vegas. The crowd, naturally, went apoplectic with excitement. Showband icon Brendan Bowyer in his heyday. Brendan Bowyer pictured in Dublin in his later years. Join our community for the latest news: Subscribe. One moment please Related News. News 1 day ago.