News just reached Hot Press that one of the country’s finest musicians, Paul Ashford, has died at the age of 61. He took ill on Sunday and passed away in a Dublin hospital.

Ashford’s career began during the era of the showbands, when he formed one of the key Irish groups of the ‘60s, the Chosen Few, with the late Fran O’Toole.

The two soon went on to join the Miami Showband, but Ashford left in the wake of the tragedy that saw terrorists murder O’Toole and two other band members, Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy, as they returned from a gig in County Down in 1974.

Ever looking to the future, Ashford moved away from that showband scene and became a significant figure among the emerging rock bands of the ‘70s, moving in the same circles as the likes of Phil Lynott. It is the period of career he is perhaps most fondly remembered for.

During this time he formed the seminal Dublin group Stepaside, taking up bass and vocal duties. That incarnation of the band lasted from ‘76-‘78, after which Ashford would go on to front The Sharks and latterly work as a solo artist. Over the years he played with everyone from The Furey Brothers and Dave Arthur, to Mike Hanrahan from Stockton's Wing and Ronnie Drew. He also spent two years touring with Jerry Lee Lewis.

Ashford was no stranger to the pages of Hot Press and even joined in on backing vocals for the magazine’s Christmas 7” – ‘Gobble Gobble Hey Hey’ by Hot Press and The Silent Knights.

Our thoughts are with his family at this time.