The Miami Showband

Irish showband founded in Dublin, 1962, and active until 1982, with reunions in 2005 and 2008. Fronted originally by Jim Harte, then by Dickie Rock and later by Fran O'Toole, Charlie Chapman, Mick Roche, Johnny & Frankie Simon, Billy Mac and Dessie O'Flaherty. Line-up included Jim Tyrrell (piano), Clem Quinn (guitar), Tony Bogan (drums), Denis Murray (bass), Tommy O'Rourke (trumpet), Martin Phelan (sax) and Murty Quinn (trombone). The band appeared on many television shows including the prestigious “Sunday Night At The London Palladium” in 1964, ITV’s “Thank Your Lucky Stars” and “Adam Faith’s Christmas Show” as well as RTE’s “Showband Show” Band members Fran O'Toole, Tony Geraghty, and Brian McCoy were murdered by the UDA in 1975 when returning from a performance in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. In the same incident, bassist Stephen Travers was critically injured but survived. Des Lee survived but was not injured.