Legendary showband singer Brendan Bowyer mourned across Ireland after his death, aged 81

The King of the Showband era, Brendan Bowyer has died.

Mr Bowyer is being mourned across Ireland after his death, aged 81, in his adopted Las Vegas home.

Country music icon Philomena Begley led tributes to the Waterford native with whom she had shared a bill on numerous occasions when their stellar careers crossed over on the Irish circuit.

Bowyer died on Thursday May 28 surrounded by his family, denied his final wish to return home "one last time".

A statement on his Facebook page read: "It is with deep sadness and regret that we announce the passing of Brendan Bowyer. Ireland's most beloved International entertainer for 62 years.

"Brendan passed away peacefully in Las Vegas on the late evening of May 28, 2020. He was surrounded by the unending love of his wife of 53 years, Stella, his three children, Brendan Jr., Aisling, Clodagh, and his two grandchildren, Liam & Nora Stella.

"Brendan was hoping to get back to his homeland, Ireland, one last time. He was 81 years old."

He first came to prominence in 1959 as a member of The Royal Showband, best known for their 1964 international hit `The Hucklebuck'.

The Beatles opened for them in April 1962 at the Pavilion Theatre in Liverpool - six months before the Fab Four released their first single `Love Me Do'.

Ms Begley said he had been "a real, real gentleman, modest and shy".

"For the big star that he was, you wouldn't think when you met him that he was, you would nearly think he was shy.

"He was lovely, lovely to work with. We would have been on the same bill and he was very popular way back in those days. We would play what we called `dry halls' and he would have been in Belfast and Dublin and over in Las Vegas . They were big stars.

"Even when he was massive you wouldn't have picked him everywhere he went, he was just with everyone else playing, he would come down along will all of us and mix with the audience."

Stephen Travers of the Miami Showband wrote on Twitter: "The King is dead: Brendan Bowyer was, and always will be, King of The Showband era when more Irish musicians were in full-time employment than ever before or since and could draw crowds of two to three thousand people a night."

He posted a picture of Bowyer with the Miami Showband in Belfast in 2008.

`The Hucklebuck' was particularly popular in Ireland, an integral part of all dances for decades after its release.

The band's later release California Sun was later covered by American punk group The Ramones.

Bowyer and fellow Royal singer Tom Dunphy left the showband in 1971 to form the Big Eight which played the Irish ballroom circuit in the summer and Las Vegas in the winter, before moving full time to Nevada.

He also dabbled as an Elvis impersonator, entering the Irish charts in 1977 with his tribute `Thank You Elvis'.

In later years he returned to Ireland each year to tour with his daughter Aisling and a six-piece band, treating fans to his showband hits, dance music and contemporary songs.