My Saxophone Saved My Life: The Miami Showband Massacre and My Quest for Answers

My Saxophone Saved My Life: The Miami Showband Massacre and My Quest for Answers by Des Lee with Ken Murray from Red Stripe Press

During Ireland’s swinging showbands era, the Miami Showband was one of Ireland’s most popular entertainment and recording acts. By the mid-1970s, as Northern Ireland tore itself apart during the Troubles, the Miami Showband was the embodiment of hope, with a line-up of Catholic and Protestant musicians from both sides of the border. But that all changed in the early hours of 31 July 1975, when three members of the band were killed by UVF terrorists in a horrific incident known as the Miami Showband massacre.

My Saxophone Saved My Life tells the story of massacre survivor Des Lee, the man who alerted the world to the attack that left three of his bandmates dead and another with serious injuries. From humble beginnings in Belfast to playing in Carnegie Hall, Lee’s memoir records the heady days of the ballroom era, the greed culture in the business, the horrific events of 31 July 1975, the decline of the showband industry, the psychological effects of the massacre, his emigration to South Africa and his drift into alcoholism. It also details the attempts by Des and fellow survivor Stephen Travers to uncover the truth about collusion in the attack on his band, in the face of constant resistance by a stubborn British state.

My Saxophone Saved My Life is a reminder that even though the Troubles are over, for Des and others they haven’t ended at all.

Des McAlea is a native of Belfast and has been a professional musician all his adult life. He was a member of several showbands, including the Miami Showband between 1967 and 1976.

Ken Murray is an award-winning journalist and author, who has worked with Euronews and BBC NI, amongst others. He currently presents current affairs programme The Agenda on LMFM radio.

Photograph of Des Lee playing the saxophone © Michael O’Reilly; photograph of the aftermath of the Miami Showband Massacre © Images4Media; cover design by O’Neill Media