The tributes which poured in after the death yesterday of singer Sonny Knowles at the age of 86 demonstrated that he was one of the best loved figures in Irish entertainment.
His remarkable career lasted over six decades and brought him to huge prominence through the height of the showband era before he reinvented himself on the cabaret circuit and through regular appearances on RTE.
Mr Knowles was also closely associated with the National Concert Orchestra, touring extensively to packed houses across Europe and the USA.
However, he was most at home on stage in his native Dublin where he will be sadly missed by his legions of fans.
