Born on 12 October 1938 in Waterford, Eire, Bowyer drew early motivation from the rock ‘n’ roll surge of the late 1950s. He rose to local fame after enlisting with the freshly assembled Royal Showband in 1957. A keen rugby player offstage, he became noted for his athletic stage moves, one of which involved leaping over bandmate Tom Dunphy during performances. Lead vocals on most of the group’s recordings fell to Bowyer, among them the Irish chart-toppers ‘Kiss Me Quick’, ‘No More’, ‘Bless You’, ‘The Hucklebuck’ and ‘Don’t Lose Your Hucklebuck Shoes’. Throughout the 1960s he stood as Eire’s foremost vocalist and earned recognition as the showband equivalent of Elvis Presley. In summer 1971 he exited the Royal Showband to sign with the Big 8, then followed his idol Presley’s example by taking the Las Vegas stage. His 1977 tribute ‘Thank You Elvis’ restored him to the Irish Top 10. Alcoholism gradually overtook him afterward, though he achieved sobriety in the early 1980s. He continues to appear on the Vegas circuit, frequently alongside the ever-shifting lineup of the Big 8.
