Legendary Waterford entertainer Brendan Bowyer has died at the age of 81.
The singer, who had six number one hits, passed away in Las Vegas last evening.
He was surrounded by his family; his wife of 53 years, Stella; his three children, Brendan Jr, Aisling and Clodagh; and his two grandchildren, Liam and Nora Stella.
In a statement on social media, Brendan's family say he had been hoping to get back to his homeland one last time.
Brendan Bowyer began his career with Waterford's Royal Showband, the first Irish band to top the Irish charts.
Their biggest hit came in 1965 with "The Hucklebuck", which went platinum internationally.
He then fronted The Big Eight, a band which split its time between Ireland and Las Vegas.
Brendan permanently relocated to Las Vegas in the 1970s and continued a succesful career there.
He came back to Ireland from time to time to perform gigs, sometimes with his daughter Aisling by his side.
In 2011, he was awarded the Freedom of the City of Waterford, along with Val Doonican.
A special show remembering Brendan Bowyer will air on WLR this Bank Holiday Monday, June 1st, at 6pm.
