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Dickie Rock

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Dickie Rock
Birth nameRichard Rock
Born(1936-10-10)10 October 1936
Cabra, Dublin, Ireland
Died24 June 2024(2024-06-24) (aged 87)
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentVocals

Richard "Dickie" Rock (10 October 1936 - 6 December 2024) was an Irish singer.[1] He experienced much success on the Irish charts during the 1960s, but continued on as a popular live act as well as occasionally hitting the charts ever since.

Early fame

Rock was born in the North Strand, Dublin and raised in Cabra on Dublin's Northside.[2]

Between 1963 and 1972, he was one of the frontmen of the Miami Showband[2] (who were later in the headlines due to the Miami Showband killings incident). He had 13 top ten hits with the Miami Showband, including seven number ones.[3] Dickie Rock and the Miami Showband were the first Irish artists to go straight into the number one spot with "Every Step of the Way" in 1965.[4] During his time with the Miami Showband, Rock attracted the kind of mass hysteria normally reserved for The Beatles.[5]

In 1966, he sang for Ireland in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest with the song, "Come Back to Stay".[2] He entered as a solo artist and finished joint fourth (with Belgium).[6] This song also became a number one hit in Ireland.

Solo years

Rock went solo in 1973, although still performed occasionally with the Miami Showband after this.[2]

Later years

Rock continued to tour well into his eighties. Following a third RTÉ documentary (one in the 1960s, another in the 1980s and another in 2006) about Rock and his place at the forefront of the Irish showband scene, he received a lifetime achievement award in October 2009. In 2019, he announced his final tour would be held in October that year.[7] In 2021, at the age of 84, Rock retired from showbusiness due to hearing problems.[8]

Personal life

Rock married his wife Judy (née Murray) in 1966.[9] Judy died in April 2022 several weeks after contracting COVID-19.[10][11]

Dickie’s death was announced on RTE News on 6th December 2024.[citation needed]

Discography

  • Irish chart singles
  • 1963 "There's Always Me" (IR #1)
  • 1964 "I'm Yours" (#1)
  • 1964 "From the Candy Store On the Corner" (#1)
  • 1965 "Just for Old Time's Sake" (#2)
  • 1965 "Round and Round" (#2)
  • 1965 "Every Step of the Way" (#1)
  • 1965 "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (#4)
  • 1965 "Wishing it Was You" (#1)
  • 1966 "Come Back to Stay" (#1)
  • 1966 "Darling I Love You" (#4)
  • 1967 "When You Cry" (#7)
  • 1967 "Baby I'm Your Man" (#13)
  • 1968 "Simon Says" (#1)
  • 1968 "Christmas Time and You" (#10)
  • 1969 "Emily" (#12)
  • 1970 "When My Train Comes In" (#15)
  • 1971 "My Heart Keeps Telling Me" (#7)
  • 1971 "Cathedral in the Pines" (#15)
  • 1972 "Till (Mini Monster)" (#9)
  • 1973 "The Last Waltz" (#15) – first solo single
  • 1973 "Maxi single" (#11)
  • 1977 "Back Home Again" (#1)
  • 1978 "It's Almost Like a Song" (#18)
  • 1980 "Coward of the County" (#11)
  • 1982 "When the Swallows Come Back from Capistrano" (#24)
  • 1988 "The Wedding" (#18)
  • 1989 "I'll Never Stop Wanting You" (#10)
  • 1989 "Come Home to Ireland for Christmas" (#25)

References

  1. ^ ""Miriam Meets...", 18 October 2009". Rte.ie. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2113. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  3. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Irish charts – straight in at No.1". Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  5. ^ O'Toole, Fintan (2023). We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland. New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-1-324-09287-2.
  6. ^ "Official Eurovision website – 1966". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  7. ^ O'Loughlin, Mikie (25 August 2019). "Showband star Dickie Rock has announced his retirement from touring .on the 6 of December 2024 rock passed away.music". RSVP Live. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  8. ^ Carter, Erica (20 November 2021). "Showband star Dickie Rock says his career is 'finished' as he's forced to retire". RSVP Live. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  9. ^ Jordan, Ailbhe (10 October 2020). "Dickie Rock shares heartbreak after wife Judy's five week hospital trauma". RSVP Live. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  10. ^ Hyland, Paul (25 April 2022). "Showband legend Dickie Rock 'devastated' after losing beloved wife Judy (75) to Covid". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 April 2022. Judy Rock, the wife of Irish showband legend Dickie Rock, has passed away in a Dublin hospital. Mrs Rock (75) was being treated at St Vincent's Hospital for several weeks after contracting Covid-19, but she sadly died earlier this evening... It comes as last month both Dickie and Judy contracted Covid-19. Dickie Rock (85) was very unwell and said he was suffering from flu-like symptoms, but he was able to recover at home. However, Judy required hospital treatment and was eventually taken into the intensive care unit.
  11. ^ Template:Cite Dickie Rock died on 6th December 2024. news
Preceded by Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest
1966 		Succeeded by
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