Pat Campbell Showband Feature (1957-197?)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
Editor's note: Every care
has been taken to present only factual information in this story
based on newspaper articles and photographic
archives. If you can add anything or correct info in this story,
please email us and let us know.
The first mention we could find of Pat Campbell as a musician was an
advert in the Irish Independent in 1956 saying he (an
accordionist) was available for engagements. We're not sure if this
is the same Pat. The first advert for the Pat Campbell Band appeared
for a dance in St. Enda's Hall in Carrickroe on the 10th of
February, 1957. We think Pat also played for the Monaghan GAA
team as there were many references to the team's forwards, one of
whom was Pat Campbell. If so, he followed in the footsteps pf the
late Dermot O'Brien.
Advertisements in the summer of
1957 made the claim that the band featured "Ireland's Slim Whitman,"
this was Matty, who also "doubled on guitar." Based in Monaghan,
during the first year most of the band's gigs were local in nature,
as with many band's not journeying far from home. Like most bands of
the era (late 1950s) the band was referred to in different ways
including as a "dance band, show band, and orchestra." Eventually,
they were playing further and further afield as their reputation
grew throughout 1958.
A series of small ads in the Irish Independent on November 29th,
1958 provided some details about the band's "eight piece"
lineup which included Pat himself, Bill Rice (guitar), Matty
Connolly (Ireland's Slim Whitman), Arthur Sherry (sax), and Kevin
Maguire (drums). The other two members of the band were not
mentioned. As 1959 dawned the band was finally beginning to play
further afield yet again with a gig in the famous Fenaghville
ballroom.
In March, 1959 their advert in the
Irish Independent "Dance Bands" classifieds announced the band was
":bigger and better and included sixteen year old Mary Connolly who
was a "finalist in Ireland's Queen of Ballad singing competition."
We're unsure if she was related to Matty Connolly. By the end of
1959 the band was still playing mainly acreoss the north but
beginning to make inroads in other border counties. Late in 1959 and
early in 1960 the words "show band, band show, and showband" were
beginning to be used regularly in adverts for the band depending on
the location. An advert is the Anglo-Celt in September 1959 referred
to Pat's outfit as "Ireland's Wonder Band."
As a word of explanation: details
about bands in the late 1950s are difficult to ascertain as there
weren't many showband entertainment columns in newspapers that did
in depth articles or interviews with individual bands. Finding
details usually depends on first hand accounts or advertisements
placed by the band themselves. By early 1960 most dance adverts
named the band as the "Pat Campbell Showband" while their own
classified advertisements still used the Dance Orchestra moniker.
Several articles under "Rockcorry News"
in early 1960 touted new members with the band in January C. McQuaid
(sax) and P. Mohan on trombone and in February the band's three vocalists: Mary, Bill
Rice and Colm McQuaid. From this news we can ascertain that Mattie
had left the band. As far as we can tell Colm also played bass
(which he was listed as playing when the band morphed into "Dawn
Knight and the Casuals Showband." The band was still being advertised as a
nine-piece band.
By this time the band had really
hit their stride and seemed to be packing in audiences across the
northern half part of Ireland. In May, 1960, Pat placed an advert
ion the Irish Independent looking for a drummer so we assume Kevin
Maguire was leaving the band. In a strange news story it was
reported in the Northern Standard that the male members of
the band were held in the RUC station and questioned for three hours
following a carnival dance in White Cross, Co. Armagh. No reason was
given in the article. A letter to the same paper in November, 1961
named several band members as: Rice, McQuaid, Brennan and McKenna.
In an April, 1963 edition of the
Northen Standard's :Come Dancing" column by "Oliver" we learned a
little more about the band's recent history. Oliver reported that
Pat was the only original member of the band left. He also reported
that Mary Connolly married sax player Arthur Sherry and they left
the band. He then brought in Ritchie Moore on trumpet from
Castleblaney. He, at that time, had apparently just added Tommy Fee
on vocals and trombone and Frank Murphy on bass. He also reported
that Bill Rice and John Beatty had left the band. In Nov 12964
Oliver rep[orted that drummer Kevin MCKenna had left the band to
join the Melochords.
Though somewhat difficult to piece
together the changes in the band in early 1`965, we know that Dawn
Night (aka Maureen Ferguson) was drafted in as a lead vocalist. In
April in was announced that the band was changing to Dawn Knight and
the Casuals (Showband).
More to come.....
click on thumbnails for full image
