Gene and The Gents
| Company type | Showband |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Defunct | April 1969 |
| Headquarters | Enniskillen , Northern Ireland |
Area served | Northern Ireland |
Key people | Gene Chetty (lead vocalist), Paddy McDermott, Dermot Doherty, Pete Watson, Henry McCullough, Tony Gallagher, Barry Scully, Pete Cresswell, Mal Kearns, Davy Quinn |
| Products | Pop music singles ("The Way You Wrinkle Your Nose," "I Came As a Stranger and Stayed As a Friend," "Puppet on a String") |
Gene and The Gents were a Northern Irish pop showband originating from Enniskillen, recognized for hits such as "The Way You Wrinkle Your Nose," "I Came As a Stranger and Stayed As a Friend," and "Puppet on a String."
Early years
The group was established in 1964 by four members of the Enniskillen-based Skyrockets: Paddy McDermott (tenor saxophone), Dermot Doherty (trombone), Pete Watson (drums), and Henry McCullough (lead guitar). They later added Tony Gallagher (rhythm guitar) and Barry Scully (bass) to their lineup. Lead vocalist Gene Chetty, a South African studying law, joined after successfully auditioning. Their first performance took place on 17 March 1964 at The County Hall in Monaghan. In 1966, McCullough left the band and was succeeded by Pete Cresswell, a London native known for his contribution to the 1961 track "Baby Sittin." Additional personnel changes followed with Mal Kearns taking over from McDermott in 1968 and Davy Quinn replacing Scully in 1969 before the ensemble disbanded in April of that year.
Singles
| Year | Title | Label Code |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "Puppet On A String" / "Sweet Little Sixteen" | Emerald MD 1024 |
| 1967 | "The Way You Wrinkle Your Nose" / "I Came As A Stranger" | Emerald MD 1073 |
| 1969 | "C'mon Everybody" / "Hound Dog" | Target 7N 17532 |