‘Doc’ Carroll, born Martin Carroll, was lead singer with 1960s Mayo Royal Blues showband. In 1966, Doc Carroll and the Royal Blues became the first showband from the West of Ireland to score a No. I in the Irish Top 10. His version of “Old Man Trouble” stayed two weeks at No 1 and become a showband era clasic. It remained synonymous with Doc throughout his life.
Doc carroll. No 1 with "Old Man Trouble".
Two years earlier, in 1964, the Royal Blues was signed by Kerry-born promoter Bill Fuller to perform a series of dates at venues he promoted in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco. They drew capacity crowds to City Center in New York and other major venues where the sons and daughters of many families from Connaught had settled.
The co-lead singer in the band was Shay O’Hara, from Carlow, and the other members were Vincent and Frank Gill from Claremorris, and Brian Carr, Brendan Arnold, Bobby Smith and Don Flanagan, all from Dublin. They were managed by Andy Creighton.
In 1983, they reformed for a series of shows and attracted a dance crowd of 2,000 in Claremorris Town Hall in June of that year. Their last reunion was in 2001 when they played a week-long series of dates around the country. Doc Carroll stayed in showbusiness and was performing up to a year before he died. He had introduced Donna McCaul from Athlone into his band. Some months later, Donna and her brother Joe won Ireland’s You’re A Star Song Contest.
Over the previous decade, he toured in England where he had a resident band and enjoyed a measure of success on the English circuit. The songs of Fats Domino and other legends from that era were an integral part of his show. He was also an accomplished lead guitar player with a special flair for country instrumentals, most notably the old classic “Wildwood Flower” which was featured on the Royal Blues album “In A Country Field”.
He died at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin, in May 2005, aged 64. He was survived by his wife Mary, daughters Claudene and Nicola, sons Franklin and Conor.