Butch Moore
Encyclopedia
Butch Moore was born James Augustine Moore in Dublin and was a showband icon during the 1960s. He achieved celebrity status as Ireland
's first contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest
in 1965 and attracted huge crowds with the Capitol Showband in the State's many ballrooms.
Butch Moore was at the height of his success, when he won the National Song Contest to represent Ireland
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965
, in Naples
, singing Walking the Streets in the Rain
.
He played with a number of bands before securing his big break with the Capitol Showband in 1958. Its line-up included band leader, Des Kelly, and Paddy Cole, who is still involved in the entertainment business, and an early songwriter for the band was Phil Coulter.
The Capitol achieved a considerable degree of success in the early 1960s. It toured America in 1961, and two years later became the first showband to appear on the new RTÉ television
service. The Capitol played in the London Palladium
in 1964 on a night when the lineup included Roy Orbison
.
As the lead singer with the Capital Showband, he rivalled the Royal Showband's Brendan Bowyer as Ireland's most popular showband vocalist. When his career went into a decline, he emigrated to the United States
in 1970, where he spent the last 31 years of his life where he died of a heart attack.
Butch Moore married Irish Ballad singer Maeve Mulvany in 1972 in the USA. They formed a very successful group known as "Butch N Maeve" with a mixture of ballads and pop. They also owned a pub in Mass. named after a song they sang "The Parting Glass". They had three children, Rory Tara and Thomas. Butch died in 2001 and Maeve died in 2004, she had planned to move back to Ireland where she had bought a house in Cormeen, Co. Meath.
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Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's first contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
in 1965 and attracted huge crowds with the Capitol Showband in the State's many ballrooms.
Butch Moore was at the height of his success, when he won the National Song Contest to represent Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965
Eurovision Song Contest 1965
The Eurovision Song Contest 1965 was the 10th in the series. Luxembourg's win was their second. Belgium, Finland, Germany, and Spain each scored "null points" for the second time. The 1965 contest marked the debut of Ireland, a country which later went on to dominate the competition. This was also...
, in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, singing Walking the Streets in the Rain
Walking The Streets In The Rain
Walking the Streets in the Rain was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, performed in English by Butch Moore. This was Ireland's debut Contest appearance.The song is a ballad, with Moore singing about walking away from his former lover after she has ended their relationship...
.
He played with a number of bands before securing his big break with the Capitol Showband in 1958. Its line-up included band leader, Des Kelly, and Paddy Cole, who is still involved in the entertainment business, and an early songwriter for the band was Phil Coulter.
The Capitol achieved a considerable degree of success in the early 1960s. It toured America in 1961, and two years later became the first showband to appear on the new RTÉ television
RTÉ Television
RTÉ Television is a department of Ireland's state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann.The first channel to broadcast was Telefís Éireann which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961...
service. The Capitol played in the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
in 1964 on a night when the lineup included Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
.
As the lead singer with the Capital Showband, he rivalled the Royal Showband's Brendan Bowyer as Ireland's most popular showband vocalist. When his career went into a decline, he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1970, where he spent the last 31 years of his life where he died of a heart attack.
Butch Moore married Irish Ballad singer Maeve Mulvany in 1972 in the USA. They formed a very successful group known as "Butch N Maeve" with a mixture of ballads and pop. They also owned a pub in Mass. named after a song they sang "The Parting Glass". They had three children, Rory Tara and Thomas. Butch died in 2001 and Maeve died in 2004, she had planned to move back to Ireland where she had bought a house in Cormeen, Co. Meath.
TM