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Big Country Story (1971-)

Photo Gallery - Band Lineups - Discography - Audio samples - Where Are They Now?

The Story

The Big Country hit the road in March to a fanfare of publicity for its Dundalk born lead singer, Des Wilson, who was reported to have "returned from Germany to lead the band." He had previously been with the Vanguard Six from Tralee and the Boston Showband. The manager was Steve Duggan and the original line-up was Des Wilson (vocals and keyboards), John Hannigan (lead guitar), Tom Meehan (bass), Michael Meehan (drums), Norman Breslin (sax) and Seamus Sexton (guitar). Peter Smith of the Might Avons was instrumental in putting the Cavan based band on the road.

The band released it's first single on the newly formed Velvet Record which was "Swiss Cottage Place" featuring Des although it did not make the charts. From the start, the band did well across the country, playing all the major venues and carnivals. In October, the band released its second single, "Dear Dundalk," with Roger Miller's "Average People" on the B-side. Like their first record, this one also made no impact on the charts. although it further consolidated the band as one of the top country acts around.

It would appear that a few months later, in December, the band flipped the record over and started promoting "Average People" as the A-side, which was not uncommon back then.      

More to come.....

Photo Gallery

click on thumbnails for full image

Big Country (RF) Big Country (RF) Big Country (RF) Big Country (RF) Big Country - 1971
Big Country - 1971 Big Country - 1971 Big Country - 1971 Big Country - 1971 Big Country - 1971
         
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Years Vocals/Keys Guitar Bass Drums Other Sax Guitar
March
1971
Des
Wilson
John
Hannigan
Tom
Meehan
Michael
Meehan
  Norman
Breslin
Seamus
Sexton
               
               

Discography

Swiss Cottage Place / Able Bodied Man
Velvet Records - VE 003 - April, 1971
Dear Dundalk / Average People
Velvet Records - VE 012 - October, 1971
I Know One / In My World
Velvet Records - VE 016 - 1972

Audio Clips

         
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Coming Soon

Where Are They Now?  

Des Wilson: Des would go to sing with the Cotton Mill Boys and in his later years he did cabaret with his one man band. He sadly passed away in December, 1990 after a long illness.
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In Loving Memory of Grant Gallagher: Sept. 21, 1990 - Nov. 18, 2006