Country music legend Brian Coll's rise to fame, unusual hobby and why he never left Ireland

After Omagh native Brian Coll passed away in 2020 aged 79, tributes poured in for the country music legend, who was regarded as a true gentleman and pioneer of the genre.

He was known for his dry sense of humour and pure dedication to his craft, which he honed for over 50 years.

He was also a very generous man, willing to offer a helping hand to those who needed it.

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Here, we take a look back on the singer’s life and times.

Early days

Brian was born Tomás Brian Coll in Omagh in 1941, and his music career started when he was just a young boy. He performed in Master O’Sullivan’s school choir in the Town Hall in Omagh when he was nine.

He worked as a carpenter alongside his father, but he was always interested in music, and as he grew older, he decided to pursue music professionally.

He started off in The Polka Dots band back in 1960, playing with the group for about a year. He then joined The Plattermen, which was great experience for the young Brian as they were a very professional outfit. “They were doing a lot more work, but a lot less mileage,” he told the BBC.

In 1963, he sang with American star Jim Reeves. Due to his melodic voice, Brian was often chosen to open for the big Nashville stars when they came to town.

Rise to fame

During that time, the music scene was changing. In the rural areas, country music was becoming very popular, which worked in Brian’s favour as he was always a fan of the genre. He went out on his own in 1968, forming his own band called The Buckaroos.

The band worked hard, taking gigs where they could get them. Brian once recalled how sometimes all the band could afford was a bottle of coke and some fish and chips at the end of the night, rather than a fancy hotel stay. “It was hard times.”

Thankfully, due to their dedication, the band took off. The Buckaroos had a number of hit songs, including I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen. They performed sold out shows in dance halls across Ireland.

They also toured a number of ballrooms and clubs in England, which were bigger than their Irish counterparts. The tours in England were more tiring, as the cities were bigger and more congested, which led to more travel time. “It’s still very enjoyable… only I’ve lost about half a stone at the minute. I’m away to get ten Kentucky Fried Chickens, some spuds, we’ll spend an hour demolishing that, and then we’ll sleep for a week,” he quipped at the end of one of his English tours.

In 1969, the group played the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York, sharing the stage with American country superstars Johnny Cash and Buck Owens. He also performed in the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

The band’s fame kept rising, with Brian sharing the stage with one of his idols, the singer/yodeller Slim Whitman, when he came to Dublin in 1970. Brian too was a talented yodeller.

Part of the reason why the group was so successful was their close-knit relationship. Brian himself said that good working relationships were key, otherwise the band would fall apart and go nowhere. “You’re always looking for a combination of fellas with a nice, even personality and a fair amount of musical ability.”

He added that he knew bands who were arguing behind the scenes but stuck it out for a while because they were doing well financially. However, in the end, these bands always fell apart, according to Brian.

Staying grounded

Brian’s dedication to the job was second to none. He often worked 70 or 80 hours a week, but despite the long hours, he didn’t complain, remarking that many other bands would be grateful to have as much work as he did. No doubt, he remembered how he started out, and was grateful for his good fortune.

Despite being a household name and appearing in the papers regularly, Brian never let the fame get to his head, adding that he was no different to teachers, pub workers or farmers. “I just sing in a band,” he told DonegalTV.

He said while being a musician had its perks, it was a hard graft too. “I do somethingentle like 60,000 miles a year on the road. It’s very hard, especially in winter months.”

Never materialistic, Brian turned down the chance to move to Tennessee, despite the fact he was offered his own house and a lot of money to do so. He said he didn’t need to leave Ireland as he had made his own ‘mini Nashville’ at home. “The people who moved me from bicycle to four wheels are here. I was content with my lot.”

Speaking after Brian’s death, Fr Brian D’Arcy, who was a life-long fan of the Omagh man, said it was Charley Pride who wanted Brian to base himself there.

“Charley offered Brian any money to stay, saying ‘If you stay here for six months you’ll be a massive star’,” Fr Brian told the Sunday World.

For his part, Brian said that money doesn’t mean everything, and he had done well for himself, despite leaving school early.

Outside of music, Brian was a big fan of motorcycles, and the late professional motorbiker Joey Dunlop was one of Brian’s best friends. Brian also used to attend motorbike races with her father.

“Brian himself loved motorcycles and was never off them,” Fr Brian continued. “I remember one time he had a Honda 750, and he rode it down to me in Mount Argus [in Dublin] one day to bless it.

“Then he said to me, ‘Would you like a spin?’ God bless us, I had the bad luck to say I would. And off we went up the Dublin mountains, flying around corners. I thought I’d never get home alive. But he was a good motorcyclist.”

As well as motorbikes, Brian also loved photography and owned a very good camera.

Legacy

Brian was highly regarded by all due to his friendly nature. One of his favourite parts of the job was meeting fans young and old, who came far and wide to see him perform. In fact, he believed that unfriendly musicians were not good musicians at all.

“If I was to be in a band and was told from the time I go on stage to when I leave the ballroom that night that I wasn’t to speak to anyone… I couldn’t stay in a band like that.

“The thing that keeps me in it is I like singing, first and foremost, and I like meeting people, that’s my main interest.”

In 1977, Brian shocked the country music scene by announcing he was retiring from show business on medical grounds. He said he was having trouble singing and yodelling for several months due to his shortness of breath.

However, Brian recovered quickly and was back on the scene within a number of months.

In 1989, he underwent a serious brain operation and survived. Despite experiencing ill health, he continued to sing regularly.

Brian often spoke about the longevity of the genre, which has stood the test of time. “All the time, country was getting a knock… but it keeps bobbing up. Like a cork in water, it’s there all the time, trying.”

He was also a supporter of the new wave of country stars, like Derek Ryan, Nathan Carter and Mick Flavin, telling DonegalTV he feared country music was going to die out completely before they came along. “Country will never die in this part of the world, it will live forever.”

Speaking to RSVP Country, Brian’s brother Dermot said he was a very funny man who was great craic. Dermot worked as the road manager for Brian and recalls how hard his late brother worked. “He was extremely professional. I remember he did 38 shows in a row one time. He was usually the last person to leave the venue, he always had time to chat to people.”

Dermot added that it was Brian’s range that made him stand out. “He could sing anything, from the highest to the lowest notes.”

Despite Brian’s sad death, we know his music and memory will live on forever in the minds and hearts of fans.

Read the full interview and see all the fabulous pictures in this issue of RSVP Country - on shelves now