Dickie Rock

Dickie Rock
Birth name	Richard Rock
Born	10 October 1936 (1936-10-10) (age 75) Cabra, Dublin, Ireland
Occupations	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Associated acts	Miami Showband

Dickie Rock (born Richard Rock, 10 October 1936) is an Irish singer.^[1] He experienced much success on the Irish charts during the 1960s, but has continued on as a popular live act as well as occasionally hitting the charts ever since.

Early fame

Rock was born in Cabra on Dublin's Northside.

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

In 1966, he sang for Ireland in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest with the song, "Come Back to Stay". He entered as a solo artist and finished fourth in the Contest.^[4] This song also became a number one hit in Ireland.

Rock was the subject of a well-known Irish catchphrase—"spit on me Dickie", the origin of this being that rebellious young women in the 1960s wanted to be covered in his saliva in a manner similar to American women idolising the hips of Elvis. The phrase took off in Belfast in the 1960s and spread all over Ireland.

Solo years

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

Later years

Rock continues to tour at the age of 74 (2010), after a career spanning more than 40 years. 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, Dickie received a lifetime achievement award in October 2009.

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 "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
2. ^ Irish charts - search Dickie Rock
3. ^ Irish charts - straight in at No.1
4. ^ Official Eurovision website - 1966

Preceded by Butch Moore with "Walking the Streets in the Rain"

Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966

Succeeded by Sean Dunphy with "If I Could Choose"

Persondata
Name	Rock, Dickie
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	10 October 1936
Place of birth
Date of death
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