THE world of art and show business has lost some of its glitter with the peaceful passing of former rock ‘n’ roll legend and accomplished artist Bill Brown at his home in Johnstown, Naas, on Sunday June 6.

Originally from Larne in County Antrim, Billy came to live in Johnstown in 1971 and spent much of his time in country pursuits.

Prior to his showband days as lead singer with highly popular Freshmen showband of the ’60s and ’70s, he had designed stained glass windows and this love of art remained with him to the end.

A gifted vocalist, Billy, with other lead vocalist Derek Dean, shot The Freshmen into the charts with several hits including The Beach Boys-sytle pop number “Papa-OO-mow mow” which was given a unanimous top rating by the panel on BBC television Juke Box Jury programme. The band, which lasted for 15 years, had made two trips to the US in 1966/67 appearing at venues in New York and Boston.

Billy had appeared on an Irish Showband Show at the Waterfront in Belfast at Christmas and in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on Saturday, May 29, a week before his death. He also was a regular piano player at The K-Club in Straffan.

In recent years his nature paintings have been snapped up by those with an eye for exceptional talent and his work was regarded as pure genius. A ‘Bill Brown’ original was a guaranteed sale at Martina Phipp’s Tuckmill Gallery in Naas and at her annual exhibition in Lawlor’s Hotel.

Martina said his death ‘is a complete loss of a great friend and supporter of the arts’. “He was a man of so many talents who always received top marks in every exam. There’s a spot on the wall where his last painting hung and I haven’t the heart to put anything on it,” she said.

Other aspects of his work included television nature features and illustrations for childrens’ books.

Many of his showbiz friends attended the funeral prayers in Naas on Wednesday last, prior to cremation at Glasnevin Cemetery. Martina Phipps has praised the people of Johnstown for their kindness to the Brown family at their time of loss.

Billy is survived by his three sons, from a previous marriage; wife Angela and daughters, Paddy and Kate, and by his 82-year-old mother Liz.