Biography
Emerging as one of Ireland’s most colorful and audience-drawing showbands, the Dixies achieved substantial live draw and steady chart presence in Eire across the 1960s. The group first assembled under the name Dixielanders and, during 1954, performed within a jazz ensemble directed by clarinettist Sean Lucey that also included trombonist Theo Cahill (b. Eire, d. 24 July 1988, County Mayo, Eire) and the flamboyant drummer Joe McCarthy (b. August 1936, Eire). By the close of the decade the lineup had expanded to five pieces through the inclusion of pianist Mick Murphy and trumpeter Larry Neville; drawing inspiration from the Clipper Carlton, they presented eclectic material and subsequently welcomed bassist Chris O’Mahony, saxophonist-vocalist Jimmy Mintern and guitarist Steve Lynch, while Neville gave way to John Sheehan (b. Eire, d. 1999) and Murphy was succeeded by Finbar O’Leary (b. Eire, d. 2002).
Following a standout engagement at Waterford’s Olympia Ballroom in 1961, where they matched the Royal Showband’s impact, the ensemble turned fully professional. Seeking broader appeal, they installed vocalist Brendan O’Brien (d. 3 April 2008, Blackpool, Eire) in Mintern’s place, and O’Brien swiftly rose among the circuit’s most favored frontmen. A Decca Records agreement yielded the Cahill-penned instrumental “Cyclone” in 1963; shortly thereafter the Dixies registered Irish chart entries with “Christmas Time,” “I’m Counting On You” and “It’s Only Make Believe.” The year 1964 brought a Carnegie Hall appearance, after which they returned to Ireland celebrated as victors, though Sheehan’s exit at that time left the band a septet.
O’Brien’s admiration for Buddy Holly led him to revive the singer’s catalog for younger listeners through successful singles such as “Oh Boy,” “Peggy Sue” and “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.” Paired with McCarthy’s acrobatic, offbeat humor, O’Brien’s vocal strength created a highly effective ensemble. Credited with more than twenty Irish hits, among them the buoyant “Katie’s Kisses” and a chart-topping treatment of Leapy Lee’s “Little Arrows,” the Dixies redirected their focus toward Las Vegas at the decade’s end. Although profitable engagements ensued, the unit disbanded in the early 1970s like many leading showbands of the period. Core members O’Brien and McCarthy established the aptly titled Stage Two, while the remaining musicians continued under new vocalist Sandie Jones. Their “Ceol An Ghra” represented Ireland at the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, reached number 1 on the Irish charts, and preceded Jones’s replacement by a sequence of singers that included Joe O’Toole, Rory O’Connor and Tara.
By the mid-1970s the surviving original members had departed. In the early 1980s O’Brien, Lynch, O’Mahony, McCarthy, Lucey and Cahill reconvened for selected performances, with Teddy Moynihan filling the absent O’Leary’s role. Terry McCarthy assumed O’Brien’s position in 1985, yet O’Brien rejoined toward the close of the decade. Further lineup adjustments occurred until the Dixies concluded their run in 1999.
Following a standout engagement at Waterford’s Olympia Ballroom in 1961, where they matched the Royal Showband’s impact, the ensemble turned fully professional. Seeking broader appeal, they installed vocalist Brendan O’Brien (d. 3 April 2008, Blackpool, Eire) in Mintern’s place, and O’Brien swiftly rose among the circuit’s most favored frontmen. A Decca Records agreement yielded the Cahill-penned instrumental “Cyclone” in 1963; shortly thereafter the Dixies registered Irish chart entries with “Christmas Time,” “I’m Counting On You” and “It’s Only Make Believe.” The year 1964 brought a Carnegie Hall appearance, after which they returned to Ireland celebrated as victors, though Sheehan’s exit at that time left the band a septet.
O’Brien’s admiration for Buddy Holly led him to revive the singer’s catalog for younger listeners through successful singles such as “Oh Boy,” “Peggy Sue” and “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.” Paired with McCarthy’s acrobatic, offbeat humor, O’Brien’s vocal strength created a highly effective ensemble. Credited with more than twenty Irish hits, among them the buoyant “Katie’s Kisses” and a chart-topping treatment of Leapy Lee’s “Little Arrows,” the Dixies redirected their focus toward Las Vegas at the decade’s end. Although profitable engagements ensued, the unit disbanded in the early 1970s like many leading showbands of the period. Core members O’Brien and McCarthy established the aptly titled Stage Two, while the remaining musicians continued under new vocalist Sandie Jones. Their “Ceol An Ghra” represented Ireland at the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, reached number 1 on the Irish charts, and preceded Jones’s replacement by a sequence of singers that included Joe O’Toole, Rory O’Connor and Tara.
By the mid-1970s the surviving original members had departed. In the early 1980s O’Brien, Lynch, O’Mahony, McCarthy, Lucey and Cahill reconvened for selected performances, with Teddy Moynihan filling the absent O’Leary’s role. Terry McCarthy assumed O’Brien’s position in 1985, yet O’Brien rejoined toward the close of the decade. Further lineup adjustments occurred until the Dixies concluded their run in 1999.