Remembering A Cork Legend

Ronnie McGinn Reminisces On The Dixies' Brendan O'Brien

By Ronnie McGinn

Last Thursday, immersed in accounts in our Cork Office I was almost glad of the relief when the phone rang. It was Joe McCarthy of the Dixies Showband. "Did you hear about Brendan" Joe asked. "What about him" I replied. "He's been found dead in his apartment" said Joe.

A cold cloud descended on my soul. In a state of titanic shock the universe as I've known it stood still. Brendan O'Brien, lead vocalist with the Dixies, dead! How does one come to terms with that? Just a week ago Brendan was sitting here in this office talking about his part in the new Showband series RTE television are doing. We discussed about the possibility of doing a '50 Years in the Business' tour. Brendan also mentioned that this time forty years ago Little Arrows was shooting up the Irish charts.

I looked out the office window, across the road at John O'Sullivans bar . Brendan once told me that when he was a trainee draughtsman, studying architecture, he worked on the drawings of the original Lounge Bar extension in John O'S. It was the only architectural job he ever did! Because shortly after that, he won a talent contest in London, and in July 1961 he received an offer to join the Dixies, or as they were known at the time, The Dixielanders. They released Brendan's first a record "Xmas Love", the enthusiasm of the public and the band created a crowd of 4300 in the Arcadia on St Stephens Night that year. And the rest as the cliché goes - is history. The first time I met Brendan was in Christian Brothers College Wellington Road (now 96FM) Cork. We weren't friends or anything but we were in the same class and shared a common fear of an aggressive Brother Behan. Years later, when I went to worked in the Dixies office at the Arcadia Ballroom in Cork Brendan would jokingly remind me, of what seemed at the time, our very turbulent school days. He obviously wasn't as scared of the tyrant as I was. He'd often quip "I writing to Brother Behan about you".

Nowadays it's hard to comprehend, but Brendan and the Dixies were part of a new generation of Irish people that believed in themselves. They saw more in the future than the boat to America and England. They believed we could do it here and be just as good as anybody else in the world. Brendan was the perfect example. His fine rich voice, his good looks, charming personality, charismatic stage performance, his modesty, his confidence and his gentlemanly manner made him a world class entertainer. It led to dozens of hit records and world tours; Carnegie Hall, Las Vegas, London , Paris, Rome, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, New York ,Toronto and on and on. Brendan was there, always winning audiences. He wasn't just a Rock 'N' Roll singer, Brendan could switch to country or Irish music at the drop of a hat. On one occasion in front of five thousand people in the Galtymore in Cricklewood, London Emgland, Brendan brought tears to the eyes of hundreds of Irish emigrants with his version of "Peggy O'Neill". Unfortunately he never recorder it.

In the seventies Brendan went of to form Stage 2 with Joe Mac. A near fatal stage accident almost ended his career. But Brendan came back with the Brendan O'Brien Band (On the Road Again) which subsequently led to the re-forming of the original Dixies. It gave Brendan a new lease of life. More hit records and more tours. But time was to take it's toll and Brendan had to slow down. One of his final major international appearances was last autumn in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New, where went on stage with a fourteen piece orchestra and brought the house down with a riveting performances. It was a fundraiser for the Cope Foundation. A few weeks ago he was on stage in the Cork Opera House for The Cork on Show where 50 000 was raised for cancer research. Just a week ago he went on stage with Joe Mac in the Briar Rose Lounge in Cork where he sang one of his old hits "Rave on" ironically it was always his opening number with the Dixies.

The Brendan O'Brien story is yet to be written. His illustrious career spanned over five decades and it wasn't always easy. He worked hard as an entertainer and had to suffer the slings and arrows of being in the public eye. But Brendan took it all in his stride, whenever things went wrong he picked himself up and carried on. His courage being the measure of his greatness. But behind all the razzmatazz of show business Brendan's greatest love was for his family. He adored his children and could hardly ever hold a conversation without mentioning them. To all Brendan's family I would like to extend my deepest sympathies.

In our own way we'll miss Brendan, and who knows, maybe, someday, in the land of milk and honey when we're all together again, Brendan will be singing in that great big ballroom in the sky. And we'll hear Theo Cahil introduce the band at the end of the performance, he will finish saying " And our lead Vocalist Brendan O'Brien" As the crowd erupts with screams and applause, Brendan explodes with "Oh Boy" and as the music fades Theo buds farewell with "Goodnight, God Bless, Safe Home and Happy Dancing from the Dixies"

Till that time Brendan, Rest in Peace and thank you for the good times and the memories.