On The Road Again With The Miami Showband

The Iconic Irish Showband's Irish Tour To Benefit 'Children In Crossfire'

The contribution of Irish showbands to Ireland's social development was important and immense.

From the mid 1950s to the late 1970s, the main source of music at dance halls was the showband.

As young people grew in confidence and asserted themselves their signature tune was undoubtedly played by the talented and enthusiastic young men and women that, night after night, reproduced the sounds of the era in the ballrooms throughout the length and breath of the country.

Many married couples from that time met at a dance where a showband was playing.

Times were innocent and exciting.

The journey of showband musicians mirrored and, sometimes, drove the musical taste of a young population.

Some, like their fellow musicians in classical orchestras and traditional jazz bands, were content to cover the music of others while some attempted to incorporate their own original ideas, arrangements and compositions into their nightly repertoire.

Naturally, "he who pays the piper calls the tune" and usually even the more adventurous showbands toed the line and played the familiar songs of the day.

One of the bands that managed to carry its audience along as it developed into a modern world class act was The Miami Showband.

Now, truly a legend! Undoubtedly it has achieved mythical status and the names of its musicians are indelibly written into music and social folklore; its sacrifice forever burned into thesoul of a country.

Nevertheless it would be all too easy to let the legend obscure the music.

It was the music that really mattered to the thousands of people that loved The Miami Showband from the very beginning.

This band, more than any other, embodied the popular music and style of their era.

The Miami Showband

The Miami has a long history extending back beyond 1962 when Dickie Rock joined.

Dickie, a charismatic frontman who inspired devotion from his fans, enjoyed enormous success with the band between 1963 and 1973, including a string of Top Ten Irish Hits and a Eurovision appearance in 1966.

It is universally accepted though that The Miami Showband reached its artistic pinnacle while fronted by the young and outrageously talented Fran O'Toole.

He had it all, a magnificent soulful voice, musical genius, fabulous image and a personality to match.

He was accompanied by the very best young musicians in the country. Des Lee, Stephen Travers, Ray Millar, Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy were loved by their countless fans and respected by their peers.

They were unstoppable until fate intervened and took the young lives of Fran, Tony and Brian. It was indeed "The Day the Music Died".

It was a fitting tribute that on the 30th anniversary of the loss of those young lives that the former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern unveiled a memorial sculpture in Parnell Square to the band at the site of the former National Ballroom.

He said ". . . we remember the affection 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. . ."

The Miami Showband And 'Children in Crossfire'

The Miami Showband wanted a charity to be the possible beneficiary of its new concert tour.

A meeting was arranged between the founder of "Children in Crossfire", Richard Moore, and the band.

It soon became evident that this was indeed an organisation the Miami would be proud to support.

Stephen accepted an offer from the charity in May 2008 to witness, in person, the work of the organisation in East Africa.

He says his visit to Tanzania as the representative of the band was "a life changing experience" and consequently,

The Miami Showband is now fully committed to highlighting the wonderful work of "Children in Crossfire."

Children in Crossfire was founded in 1996 by Richard Moore.

His own experience has led Richard to dedicate his working life to helping vulnerable children and young people right across the world.

Twelve years after its foundation, Children in Crossfire is now an international organisation with an ever expanding outreach to Asia, Africa and Latin America.