Dickie Rock, a beloved Irish singer, passed away at the age of 88, according to his family.
His family announced his death in a statement on Friday evening.
The statement read: “His children, Jason, John, Richard, Sarah Jane and Peter, will miss him very much.”
View this post on Instagram
“Dickie lost his beloved Judy in 2022 and they are now together again, and that is of some comfort to the family.”
President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to Dickie Rock, saying that he was an iconic figure in the showband music scene.
“A performer of the highest quality, Dickie Rock’s popularity, both in the Miami Showband and as a solo artist, was such that he remained a hugely popular entertainer through succeeding generations,” President Higgins said.
In many peoples eyes, Dickie Rock was Ireland’s first pop superstar.
He had over a dozen hit records with the Miami Showband, including Georgie Porgie, Every Step of the Way, and From the Candystore on the Corner.
To Whom It Concerns, one of their classics, was made the theme song for RTÉ’s Late Late Show.
With a big nationwide fan base, Dickie and the Miami were a very popular live group that packed ballrooms and theatres everywhere they performed.
Female fans frequently imitated Beatlemania’s hysterics.
“Spit on me Dickie!” became a part of Irish tradition due to the countless cries of the audience.
With Come Back to Stay, Dickie Rock represented Ireland in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest.
He competed as a solo performer and tied with Belgium for joint fourth place.
The song was bound to become a number-one hit in Ireland.
Even though he continued to perform with the Miami Showband on occasion, Mr. Rock went solo in the 1970s.
In October 2009, he was given a lifetime achievement award and toured well into his eighties.
He didn’t stop performing until 2021, when he was eighty-four, because of hearing issues.
