Wednesday, December 10, 2003
By Michael Commins
Legendary Claremorris showband manager, Andy Creighton, has died in London. Andy was the man behind the Royal Blues surge to national fame and guided them to the No. I spot in the Irish Top 20 back in 1966 when Doc Carroll’s “Old Man Trouble” became the first ever No. I by a West of Ireland singer/band.
Andy died on Thursday 4th December following an illness. He had resided in the London area since 1988. After the Royal Blues, Andy managed various other bands including The Memories, Brush Shiels, The Philosophers, and D.J. Curtin and the Kerry Blues. Some top names like Colm T. Wilkinson and Chris De Burgh, who later went on to carve out international careers, sought the advice of the Claremorris man along the way.
Regarded as one of the top managers in the band business for many years, Andy always had an eye for the novel attraction. He once ran a Royal Blues ‘train special’ from Westport to Tuam and packed the train and the ballroom in the process. The stories about him are legend and he revelled in the showbiz scene, always cutting a dash, with the ‘wafting’ cigar being an almost permanent part of his image and life in the showbiz lane.
His remains are due to arrive at Claremorris Church at 6 p.m. on this Wednesday evening (10th December) via Knock Airport with burial in St. Colman’s Cemetery following 12 noon Mass on Thursday. He is survived by his wife Marie and family, Andrew, Maria, Charles and Sara, grandchildren Rian and Grace, brothers Willie, John and Pat, sisters Kathleen Staunton and Mary Gray, relatives and friends.
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