Country music veterans shared awickedsenseof humour along theroadtofame

Some 30 years ago, despite the impact created by the Troubles, Ulster boasted some of the finest country singers ever to have emerged in Ireland. The province was blessed with talent then — singers who were destined to create a lasting impression and, indeed, earn their niche in entertainment history. Philomena Begley, Susan McCann, Brian Coll, Frankie McBride, Gloria, Brendan Quinn and the late Gene Stuart and Big Tom were among the elite singers who played a key role in popularising country music, following the showband boom which had lasted during the 1960s and 1970s.

Daniel O’Donnell and his sister, Margo, also played big parts in revitalising the scene, with Daniel scaling a new peak in terms of fame by reaching a level that no one had ever achieved before.

The one element that all these singers shared, apart from their natural musical ability, was a sense of humour.

I well recall performing in Dublin over 40 years ago with Brendan Quinn, with whom I used to try and impress everyone by whizzing around in our Nissan cars.

When we were Dublin, we always stayed in the Aishling Hotel along the banks of the Grand Canal and it cost us the princely sum of £1.75 for bed and lunch, if you don’t mind.

But all good things come to an end and there was a general outcry when the price was raised to £2.

“Are they trying to rob us altogether?” asked Brendan.

Humour, indeed, appears to have survived within the ranks of the veteran singers, with Philomena Begley in particular never short of a quip.

When I was recording her for my Legends show, she invited us to her home in Galbally near Pomeroy and the first thing that hit me when I walked in through the door was the smell of home baking and soup. Naturally, I felt hungry immediately, but Philomena must have read my thoughts.

“By the looks of your waist, Hugo, the last thing you need is a feed of my soda bread,” she said.

While all of these singers made their own headlines and enjoyed their individual successes, they collectively ensured that the province gained the status of being a bastion of country music.

But nothing lasts forever and given that time waits for no man (or woman, for that matter), a transition within the country music and dancing

Country comforts: Lisa McHugh and (below) a younger Hugo Duncan

sphere saw new artistes emerge.

Ironically, some of the acts who were to follow in the footsteps of the legendary figures of the late1970s and early-1980s and become massively popular in this part of the world are not in fact natives of the province.

I’m thinking here of singers like Nathan Carter, Lisa McHugh, Derek Ryan, Michael English, Jimmy Buckley, Robert Mizzell and Mike Denver.

It was Liverpool-born Nathan Carter who probably did more than most to really reignite interest in both country music and dancing when he burst onto the scene eight years ago, although Jimmy Buckley, Mike Denver and Robert Mizzell all had logged up many thousands of miles before that.

When Lisa McHugh, who hails from Glasgow, Derek Ryan, from Carlow, and Kildare man Michael English came to the fore, they not only enjoyed massive success on the recording front but created a fresh wave of interest in country dancing.

Along came singers such as Johnny Brady, Jim Devine and Gerry Guthrie to lend their weight to the scene and now we have a corps of bands that are attracting huge crowds.

In the old days (when I was at my peak), dances lasted from 9pm to 2am, with a relief band maybe playing until midnight before the main band took to the stage. That, of course, has changed now, with perhaps a DJ spinning country hits before the band goes on from 11pm to 1am.

And all the time new bands are emerging with young singers hoping to make a big impression. The theory that a singer is only one hit number away from enjoying a successful career still holds water today and I have fond memories of recording Dear God in 1971. It’s a song on which I have dined out on since and I am very grateful.

That’s why I always make a point of encouraging young singers and others to pursue their goals and have self-belief.

Becoming a full-time singer in a band is the ultimate dream of many entertainers. As the man says: “Sure, it beats having to work for a living.” On a more sombre note, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Sonny Knowles, one of the real troubadours of the Irish entertainment scene.

I well recall Sonny when he was with the Pacific Showband. He was always a very good singe, and among his big hits was that fine song No One Will Ever Know.

Sonny was a very capable performer, someone who was at ease on stage and who had the knack of encouraging people to enjoy themselves.

In more recent years, he cemented his popularity on the busy Dublin cabaret scene, which he graced with considerable style. As well as being a fine vocalist, Sonny was also an accomplished instrumentalist and was very much at home on the saxophone, in particular.

He was especially popular with his fellow performers in Dublin and, when many northern people visited the city, they would make a point of going along to see him perform. And Sonny being Sonny, he invariably had a warm welcome for them.

He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.