The Cadets

Formed in Dublin in 1962, the Cadets quickly became one of the most popular showbands -- ensembles of usually six people or more, doing dance-oriented American-style music, including rock & roll, country, R&B, and soul -- in the Irish capitol. Their success was partly a reflection of the popularity of their lead singer, Eileen Reid, whose powerful voice and effective intonation, coupled with good looks topped off with a huge beehive hairdo, made her one of the most popular young singers in the country. They were initially signed by Decca Records but switched to the Pye label soon after their first single, "Hello Trouble," faltered. With Pye they enjoyed a string of Irish hits, hitting number one with their version of the Jim Reeves song "Fallen Star," and following it up with another smash, "I Gave My Wedding Dress Away" -- the Cadets also charted a few records in England, and were among the few Irish showbands to get featured on British television, including Thank Your Lucky Stars. The group, whose repertory favored country songs, played on Johnny Cash's and June Carter Cash's late- 1963 tour of Ireland, and they rated an introduction to the Beatles when they toured Ireland that same year. They even managed to tour America briefly in 1964, and had their own radio show in Dublin. They lasted until 1970, two years after Reid's exit following her marriage to Jimmy Day. The Cadets are among the most fondly remembered of the 1960s showbands. In 2004, their version of "Chapel of Love" from 1964 was included in the double-CD Castle Records collection Beat, Beat, Beat Vol. 4. ~ Bruce Eder