Con Cluskey
Con Cluskey | |
|---|---|
The Bachelors in 1965 Cluskey is on the left | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Conleth Joseph Cluskey |
| Born | 18 November 1935 Inchicore, Ireland |
| Died | 8 April 2022 (aged 86) Elland, England, UK |
| Genres | Pop, folk |
| Instrument(s) | Singer, harmonica |
| Years active | 1957–2022 |
| Formerly of | The Bachelors |
Conleth "Con" Joseph Cluskey (18 November 1935 – 8 April 2022) was an Irish singer. He was one third of The Bachelors, which included his younger brother Decaln, from 1957 to 1984.
Early life
Cluskey was born in Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland, to a railway fitter father.[1] He was educated at O’Connell School and Bolton Street college of Technology (now Dublin Institute of Technology), where he studied mechanical engineering.[1] He worked as a heating engineer.[1]
Career
Cluskey, his brother Declan, and schoolfriend John Stokes formed The Harmonichords[1] in 1957,[2] an instrumental harmonica trio.[3] They then became a vocal trio, The Bachelors, in 1960. As a vocal trio, with Cluskey on lead vocals,[2] they had eight top ten singles in the UK between 1963 and 1966 and eight in Ireland from 1962 to 1966.[4][5] In 1964, the Bachelors had their only number one with "Diane" in the UK and became the first Irish act to have a UK number one.[4][2][3]
The Bachelors ended in 1984 when Con and his brother asked Stokes to leave the group, and Stokes took the brothers to court.[1] The two continued performing cabaret as "The New Bachelors" with Peter Phipps[6] until 1993, when they branched off as a duo called "The Cluskey Brothers".[1] The brothers continued to sing until 2020, when lockdown restrictions prevented them from touring.[7]
Personal life
Cluskey married his wife Kay in 1961, but was kept a secret to keep the trios Bachelor image.[1] They moved into a 15th century house in Elland in 1970 where he spent the rest of his life.[1] He was active in the local catholic church and was president of a rotary club.[1] In 2009, Cluskey tore an artery in his right leg.[1]
Death
Cluskey died on 8 April 2022 aged 86 from problems related to Coronavirus at Calderdale Royal Hospital.[8] His wife Kay had died in October 2017.[1][8] He is survived by his four children and three grandchildren.[1][8] His funeral reception was in Huddersfield on 3 May.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Obituaries, Telegraph (2022-04-13). "Con Cluskey, singer with the Bachelors, the first Irish band to have a UK No 1 single – obituary". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ a b c Fuller, Phoebe (2022-04-15). "The Bachelors lead singer Con Cluskey dies after Covid". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ a b "The Bachelors' Con Cluskey dies". 2022-04-11.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b "BACHELORS". Official Charts. 1963-01-30. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "The Bachelors History, The Official Bachelors Website, The Original Bachelors, Best Bachelors site for information on this amazing act from the 60's". www.thebachelors.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Woolley, Ian (2022-04-12). "The Original Bachelor Boy - RIP Con Cluskey". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ a b c d "Former Bachelors singer and Elland resident Con Cluskey dies aged 80". Halifax Courier. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2025-08-07.