Friends of legendary Co Tyrone performer Willie Loughrey, known to many as Rock Stewart, have paid tribute to the musician after his passing on Sunday.
The Omagh man passed away after a battle with illness, and will be fondly remembered for his memorable musical performances around the country.
Willie was best known for charismatic appearances as Rock Stewart, Buck Stupid and a variety of colourful characters which delighted audiences from near and far.
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Eamonn Lynch formed part of the Plattermen, a group who performed with Willie during the heydays of the showbands in Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s, and remained a close friend until the entertainer's death.
"As an entertainer he was just unsurpassed," Eamonn told MyTyrone.
"He was just compulsive viewing for anybody that was at a dance, and people just had a fixation with watching him and everything that he did.
"If you were to speak to anyone from the person on the street to a professional singer they would have just been in awe of his ability.
"When you met him in the pub for a drink he was so far removed from that character, but he never would have left character completely because there was always an element of divilment in him. He loved the craic and carry on."
"He was just such a fun person - he didn't play an instrument but he loved all genres of music.
"If you had gone to see him at Christmas he would have been dressed as a fairy, the next night he would have been Dracula, that was just the character that he was.
One of Rock Stewart’s trademarks was appearing from a coffin during a show which was carried in by his band, and music halls would be packed out to catch a glimpse of the singer.
Omagh musician Piero McGartland knew Willie for 40 years, and said he was one of the most iconic musical figures to emerge from the town.
“Willie was just a unique character and an all out entertainer,” Piero said.
“Every band had their own thing but Willie stood out because he had an act on stage and that’s what everybody came to see.
“He was a great singer and had a great band behind him but he was full of surprises.
“There was never a dull moment with him, you just never knew what was coming next.
“He filled the places back in the day when the showbands were thriving, he was one of the top men on the scene.
“It’s a sad, sad loss to the town and it’s come as such a shock to everyone.”
Willie's brother Johnny was also a well-known country music singer, and the family originally hailed from Newtownstewart.
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Raymond Stewart, owner of Stewart’s Music Shop in Dungannon, said Willie brought an energy to his performances that many had never seen before.
“Willie brought something very new to the entertainment business with his show,” Raymond said.
“He brought entertainment to a new level with his style and appearance. You had to be able to live up to that with performance and talent and he was well capable of doing that.
“He was a great singer and a great entertainer, a flamboyant character who was fit to deliver with his vocals and his quality, he was just outstanding.”
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