The Brendan Grace Story (active: 1967-2019)

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

The Story

The story of one of Ireland's most beloved comedians starts not in comedy, but in the folk clubs and ballad competitions which were so popular in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The first mention of Brendan we can find is in October, 1967 when he was part of the Larry Myler Show in Camden House. At the time, Brendan was only 16. A few months later he was advertised again but with "his trio" which we assume was the start of the Gingermen.

The Gingermen were a group of four teenagers from Dublin and the first mention of them we can find is in late 1968 when they took part in the Navan Silver Band nationwide ballad competition. They did not win, but "took part." During 1969, the band was playing the folk circuit and taking part in folk festivals (Letterkenny Folk Festival-August 1969) but it didn't seem like they were having much success. They tied for third out of six groups at Letterkenny winning £20.

However they were getting around the country playing gigs in Carlow, Drogheda, Donegal and other venues outside their native Dublin. They were also featuring on TV and appeared with the Wolfe Tones on a young Shay Healy's RTE programme, "The Ballad Sheet" in September of 1969. Interestingly, they were billed as "Ireland's Leading Country and Western Swing Group" when they play in the Red Lion in Vicar Street in late 1969 (perhaps a tongue in cheek joke?).

The band's line-up was Brendan Grace, Paul Malone, John Gillett and Des Redmond. Despite their modest beginnings, the band continued to grow their reputation and were playing across Ireland becoming one of the better known folk groups in the country. In March, a report in the Evening Herald reported the lads were about to undertake their first tour of English Folk Clubs and record their first single on the Target label. In an article published a week later 18-year-old Brendan was singled out as the "leader" of the group, the first time we can find mention of his name.

In April, 1970, they won the Mitchelstown Cheese Ballad Competition which reports said included a recording contract. In July they took another trophy, beating out thirty other groups in the Clare Ballad Competition taking home the Mangan Trophy for groups. Despite reports in July that the band had a record "in the can" (ready to go), it would be September before the record was mentioned again and this time its release was imminent.   

In October (with their forthcoming record still being promised) they appeared on the bill with Eurovision winner Dana on her first appearance in the National Stadium, at the time,  Ireland's premier live venue along with the Memories and Sonny Knowles. As 1970 came to an end, the group was still going from strength to strength, but still no sign of a record.                 

By the beginning of 1971, the Gingermen had joined the "elite groups" on the ballad scene appearing regularly on the same bill as all the top names. It seemed all was going well when in late February, we found an advert for the group playing in the Grosvenor Hotel, Westland Row as the "last appearance" of the group in the venue. The group broke up and from what we can tell, never released a record.

In early March, 1971, Brendan made his first appearance (ex-Gingermen) and started his solo career as a folk singer. He did very well as a solo artist and went to Canada around October, 1971. He wrote a letter to "Uncle Bill" who ran the "Heraldites Column" in the Evening Herald. In it, he said, "I've been telling jokes, stories and the old blarney...and they laugh." It was during this period, we think, that comedy became a major component of his live act (see letter below). He also mentioned being signed to Tribune Records, but we can find no reference to him releasing a record on the label. 

Throughout the year and into the next, Brendan continued to play the folk clubs and cabaret spots and build his reputation as a great all around solo performer. There was some talk of him forming a group, although he never did. Based on the number of bookings we have found in our research of national papers, he was one of the hardest working solo acts in the country.        

In late 1972, Brendan would release his first single, "Cushy Butterfield," a good time folk song which went to number 3 in the Irish charts and firmly establish Brendan as an act that could deliver the goods. He accomplished what many of the top showbands never did, a massive hit record. It was also to set the tone for Brendan's recording success when eight of his first ten singles managed to crack the Irish top ten, making him one of the most successful artists of the era. For some time after his first hit, he was often identified in adverts as "Mr. Cushy Butterfield."

In March of 1974, Brendan joined Tony Kenny (Joseph) and Cahir O'Doherty (Pharaoh) in the Olympia Theatre's production of "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" where he played the Narrator. Previously Jesus Christ Superstar had been staged by the same group and both were heralded as smash hit productions.  

Although never in a showband, Brendan continued to make hit records and headline cabarets and concerts all across Ireland and places much further afield for the next nearly 50 years. In 1981 he formed his own record label, Bottler Records, named after his famous on-stage character, Bottler. He also recorded with CBS records and brought his original brand of comedy to audiences around the world. For some time, he resided in Florida in the United States, and he came home several times a year and packed theatres and venues across Ireland and his fans never tired of his wit, charm, humour, and oh yes, his wonderful singing voice.   

As of the summer of 2018, Brendan, then 67 remained one of Ireland's best loved entertainers and continued to pack them in whenever he toured. He resided in Florida, but made regular trips home several times a year to entertain his fans, many of whom had followed him as a solo artist for almost 50 years, a milestone he would have celebrated in 2021. In 2018 he celebrated 50 years on the road starting in 1968 with the Gingermen. Sadly, after a long period suffering a variety of physical ailments, including diabetes, Brendan passed away on July 11th, 2019 after a relatively short illness which was revealed to be lung cancer. He was only 68 years old and he will be sorely missed by family, friends and fans around the world.   

Photo Gallery

click on thumbnails for full image

Discography

Singles

Cushy Butterfield / Down by the Glenside - #3 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 106 - December, 1972
Liberty Boy / Industrial Fair - #5 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 122 - November, 1973
Paddy The Peddlar / Day At The Zoo - #4 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 129 - May, 1974
Dublin Victory Song / Me Mammy
Solo Records - SOLO 130 - 1974
A Visit To Santa / Dracula's Daughter - #3 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 132 - September, 1974
Delilah / Bottler at Me Sister's Wedding - #6 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 135 - May, 1975
Combine Harvester / Bottler At The Circus - #1 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 139 - June, 1975
Where Have They Gone / Bottler and the Gardai  - #5 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 144 - July, 1976
When Benjy Wrapped His Tractor Round the Old Oak Tree / Bottler On The Phone - #1 Irish Charts
Solo Records - SOLO 148 - June, 1977
Bottler's Visit To Dallas / Bottler and Whacker
Solo Records - Solo 155 - January, 1978
The Jogging Song / Mrs. Kelly's Sweetshop  - #16 Irish Charts
CBS Records - CBS 6510 - July, 1978
Intergalactic Teleportation Queen / Bottler's Tables
CBS Records - CBS 68313 - January, 1980
Bottler's Visit To Dallas / Bottler and Whacker (re-release?) - #12 Irish Charts
Solo Records - Unknown - September, 1980
Bottler on CB / Funny Sayings - #7 Irish Charts
Bottler Records - BO 15 - July, 1981
A Visit To Santa / Then He Kissed Me - #26 Irish Charts
Bottler Records - BO 16 - November, 1981
The Dutchman / Shoe Shine Suzy - #27 Irish Charts
Bottler Records - BO 17 - April, 1982
Song for Mira / The Humours of Ireland - #14 Irish Charts
Bottler Records - BO 21 - February, 1983
I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen / Father of the Bride - #15 Irish Charts
Ritz Records - RITZ 077 - July, 1984
Morningtown Ride /  - #25 Irish Charts
Ritz Records - Unknown - December, 1984
It's Me Again Margaret /
Ritz Records - RITZ 128 - January, 1985
Long Before Your Time / - #25 Irish Charts
Ritz Records - Unknown - November, 1985
My Heart Is In Ireland / Long Before Your Time
Lunar Records - LOON 034 - January, 1986
Rooster / - #30 Irish Charts
Harmac Records - Unknown - April, 1987
4 Roads to Glenamaddy / Mr. Bojangles - #25 Irish Charts
Lunar Records - LOON 081 - January, 1990
I'm Getting Nuthin for Christmas / Bottler's Christmas - #25 Irish Charts
Lunar Records - LOON 049 - November, 1988

Albums

Grace, Before and After
Solo Records - SOLO 7001 - 1973
His Grace, At Liberty
Solo Records - SOLO 7004 - 1974
His Grace, Alive-O
Solo Records - SOLO 7007 - 1975
His Grace, At Harvest
Solo Records - SOLO 7010 - 1976
Greatest Hits, Volume 1
Solo Records - SOLO 7013 - 1977

Audio Clips