Maxi (singer)

Maxi

Born|

Irene McCoubrey

(1950-02-23) 23 February 1950 (age 74)
Occupations|

* Musician (1964–2011)
* Radio presenter (1985–2015)

Musical career
Instruments|

* Violin
* singing

Years active| 1964–2011
Formerly of|

* Maxi, Dick and Twink

* Sheeba
* The Concerned

Musical artist

Maxi (born Irene McCoubrey, (1950-02-23)23 February 1950) is a former musician and radio presenter in the Republic of Ireland. Maxi performed with two girl groups and the Irish supergroup The Concerned in the 1970s–80s, also representing Ireland at the 1973 and 1981 Eurovision Song Contests. After an automobile accident left her hospitalized, she focused on becoming a presenter for RTÉ; she retired from the broadcaster in 2015 after 30 years.

## Personal life

[edit]

The third and final child of Madge and Sam, Maxi was born Irene McCoubrey on (1950-02-23)23 February 1950.[1] She grew up in Harold's Cross, and was given her nickname due to the letters "McC" in her surname.[2] As of February 2015[update], she had only been married once, from 1973 to 1979, and bore no children.[1] In addition to her work in media, Maxi was a UNICEF Ireland representative.[2] As of December 2011[update], she lived in Blackrock.[3]

## Music

[edit]

As a child, Maxi and Sam played the violin, and Madge played the piano. In addition to singing with the Little Dublin Singers and Young Dublin Singers, Maxi sang in the school choir at St Louis High School, Rathmines.[1]

When Eamonn Andrews wanted to create a girl group to sing backing vocals for his recording studio, he chose Maxi, Adele King, and Barbara Dixon because of how the combined singing voices sounded; the girls became Maxi, Dick and Twink based on all their respective nicknames. Maxi credited this imposed friendship with drawing 14-year-old McCoubrey out of her shyness. The group proved very popular outside Andrews' studio, and toured internationally (once to Mainz with chaperone Maeve Binchy). After seven years performing together, the group disbanded when they began developing conflicting goals. In 2015, Maxi told the Irish Independent that the three "are still getting along today. […] We're still friends, and chat and e-mail all the time."[1]

At 23 years old, Maxi was chosen to represent the Republic of Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, performing "Do I Dream". At the competition in Luxembourg, Maxi and the Irish delegation disagreed on the arrangement of the song. When Maxi refused to perform, RTÉ panicked and sent Tina Reynolds to compete in her stead, giving the replacement singer only the flight from Ireland to rehearse the song. Ultimately, Maxi performed and received tenth place. Reynolds would represent Ireland the following year with "Cross Your Heart", placing seventh.[4]

In the late 1970s, Maxi applied to join the new girl group Sheeba. Though she was initially turned down due to her age (28), she eventually joined Marion Fossett and Frances Campbell as the third member of "Ireland's first sexy girl group." At Eurovision 1981, Sheeba came in fifth, singing "Horoscopes". After traveling to Holland and London to record tracks for a new album, the three women of Sheeba were hospitalized at Mayo University Hospital after a traffic collision in Castlebar; Maxi's head injury caused amnesia and needed more than 100 surgical sutures, Fossett received facial injuries, and Campbell had a collapsed lung. Sheeba were dropped by their record label after their recovery took too long, and though the three tried to succeed independently, the group ultimately broke up.[1]

In 1985, Maxi joined the Irish supergroup The Concerned to perform and record the charity record "Show Some Concern" in support of Concern Worldwide; the song was a number-one hit in March and April 1985. The Concerned also included Dave Fanning, Pat Kenny, Gerry Ryan, Linda Martin, Christy Moore, Mary Black, Adele King, Maura O'Connell, Freddie White, Eamon Carr, Johnny Duhan, Dave King, Clannad, The Blades, Stockton's Wing, The Golden Horde, and Those Nervous Animals. The music video was filmed at Windmill Lane Recording Studios.[5]

While she was bedridden in 2010–11, Maxi wrote 26 songs with Charlie McGettigan; McGettigan later recorded two, while Clara Rose Monahan recorded a third.[1]

## Radio

[edit]

Maxi was fascinated by radio since childhood. After the traffic accident that caused the fall of Sheeba, Maxi ventured into radio presenting on two inspirations. Firstly, Pete Murray had told a younger Maxi that "she had a beautiful radio voice"; secondly, medical treatment after the crash required shaving her head, and working on radio afforded her the opportunity to perform without being seen.[1]

In autumn 1994, Maxi hosted a BBC Radio 2 programme on Saturdays.[6] Maxi presented Late Date (from midnight until 2 a.m.)[1] on RTÉ 2fm for eleven years, worked on Thames' Name That Tune, was the first woman presenter of Rapid Roulette,[2] and for the eleven years prior to October 2011—when she fell ill[3]—she had hosted Risin' Time on RTÉ Radio 1 from 5:30–7 a.m.[2] After 30 years of employment, Maxi officially retired from RTÉ on 23 February 2015.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith, Andrew (23 February 2015). "The dawning of the age of Maxi". Irish Independent. ISSN 0021-1222. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
2. ^ a b c d "Maxi Profile". Personally Speaking. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
3. ^ a b Campos, Adelina (23 December 2011). "I'm back - but only for Christmas, Maxi". The Herald. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2019. "RADIO presenter Maxi will be back on the air for one day to celebrate the festive season with listeners."
4. ^ Tibballs, Geoff (2016). "Irish Eyes Weren't Smiling (1973)". The Good The Bad and the Wurst Unauthorised: The 100 Craziest Moments from the Eurovision Song Contest. Victoria Embankment: Robinson. ISBN 978-1-4721-3707-4.
5. ^ "Take a trip down memory lane as Concern say thanks to long forgotten Irish charity supergroup". Irish Examiner. 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
6. ^ "Search Results". BBC Radio 2. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Risin' Time at RTÉ Radio 1

* v
* t
* e

Eurovision Song Contest 1973

Countries|

| Final|

* Belgium
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Ireland
* Israel
* Italy
* Luxembourg
* Monaco
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Portugal
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* United Kingdom
* Yugoslavia

|

Withdrawn|

* Malta

Artists|

* Bendik Singers
* Martine Clémenceau
* Zdravko Čolić
* Ben Cramer
* Anne-Marie David
* Gitte
* Ilanit
* Patrick Juvet
* Marie
* Maxi
* Mocedades
* Nicole and Hugo
* Nova and the Dolls
* Massimo Ranieri
* Cliff Richard
* Marion Rung
* Fernando Tordo

Songs|

* "Baby, Baby"
* "Chi sarà con te"
* "Do I Dream"
* "Eres tú"
* "Ey Sham"
* "Gori vatra"
* "It's Just a Game"
* "Je vais me marier, Marie"
* "Junger Tag"
* "De oude muzikant"
* "Power to All Our Friends"
* "Sans toi"
* "Tom Tom Tom"
* "Tourada"
* "Un train qui part"
* "Tu te reconnaîtras"
* "You're Summer"

* v
* t
* e

Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest

* Eurosong
* You're a Star
* Discography

Participation|

* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Artists|

* Bambie Thug
* Black Daisy
* Brooke
* Nicky Byrne
* Can-linn
* Maria Christian
* Kiev Connolly
* Dana
* Muriel Day
* Dervish
* Ryan Dolan
* Donna and Joe
* Chris Doran
* Cathal Dunne
* Sean Dunphy
* The Duskeys
* Dustin the Turkey
* Angela Farrell
* Eddie Friel
* Paul Harrington
* Mickey Harte
* Red Hurley
* Kim Jackson
* Jedward
* Sandie Jones
* Jump the Gun
* Niamh Kavanagh
* Brian Kennedy
* The Lindsays
* Johnny Logan
* Luv Bug
* Dawn Martin
* Linda Martin
* Maxi
* Pat McGeegan
* Charlie McGettigan
* Sarah McTernan
* The Missing Passengers
* Butch Moore
* The Mullans
* Sinéad Mulvey
* Brendan Murray
* Gary O'Shaughnessy
* Ryan O'Shaughnessy
* Eimear Quinn
* Liam Reilly
* Tina Reynolds
* Marc Roberts
* Dickie Rock
* Lesley Roy
* Sheeba
* Kasey Smith
* Molly Sterling
* The Swarbriggs
* Eamonn Toal
* Wild Youth
* Colm C.T. Wilkinson

Songs|

* "22"
* "All Kinds of Everything"
* "Born to Sing"
* "Ceol an Ghrá"
* "Chance of a Lifetime"
* "Come Back to Stay"
* "Could It Be That I'm in Love"
* "Cross Your Heart"
* "Do I Dream"
* "Doomsday Blue"
* "Dreamin'"
* "Dying to Try"
* "Et Cetera"
* "Every Song Is a Cry for Love"
* "Happy Man"
* "Heartbeat"
* "Here Today Gone Tomorrow"
* "Hold Me Now"
* "Horoscopes"
* "If I Could Choose"
* "If My World Stopped Turning"
* "In Your Eyes"
* "Irelande Douze Pointe"
* "Is Always Over Now?"
* "It's for You"
* "It's Nice to Be in Love Again"
* "Lipstick"
* "Love?"
* "Maps"
* "Millennium of Love"
* "Mysterious Woman"
* "One Day Love"
* "Only Love Survives"
* "Playing with Numbers"
* "The Real Me"
* "Rock 'n' Roll Kids"
* "Somewhere in Europe"
* ~~"Story of My Life"~~
* "Sunlight"
* "Take Him Home"
* "Terminal 3"
* "That's Rich"
* "That's What Friends Are For"
* "They Can't Stop the Spring"
* "Together"
* "The Voice"
* "The Wages of Love"
* "Wait Until the Weekend Comes"
* "Walking the Streets in the Rain"
* "Waterline"
* "We Are One"
* "We've Got the World"
* "What's Another Year"
* "When"
* "When You Need Me"
* "Why Me?"
* "Without Your Love"
* "You Can Count On Me"

* Note: Entries scored out signify where Ireland did not compete

* v
* t
* e

RTÉ 2fm

Presenters|

| Weekday|

* Johnny B
* Tracy Clifford
* Marie Crowe
* Beta Da Silva
* Doireann Garrihy
* Jenny Greene
* Dan Hegarty
* Carl Mullan
* Donncha O'Callaghan
* Johnny Smacks
* Bláthnaid Treacy
* Ruby Walsh
* Jennifer Zamparelli

|

Weekend|

* Cormac Battle
* Conor Behan
* Dave Clarke
* Aindriú de Paor
* Laura Fox
* Mo K
* Aifric O'Connell
* Emma Power
* Roz Purcell
* Dave Tracey
* DJ Wax

Former|

* Jay Ahern
* Bazil Ashmawy
* Nicky Byrne
* Stephen Byrne
* Mark Cagney
* Michael Cahill
* Ronan Collins
* Ian Dempsey
* Leo J. Enright
* BP Fallon
* Dave Fanning
* Tony Fenton
* Larry Gogan
* Emilia Golightly
* Jimmy Greeley
* Chris Greene
* Vincent Hanley
* Colm Hayes
* Nikki Hayes
* Avril Hoare
* Jenny Huston
* Lucy Kennedy
* Pat Kenny
* Ciara King
* Denzil Lacey
* Will Leahy
* Aidan Leonard
* Michael Lyster
* Maxi
* Mark McCabe
* Damien McCaul
* Eoghan McDermott
* Paddy McKenna
* Alan McQuillan
* Louise McSharry
* Declan Meehan
* Mike Moloney
* Caroline Morahan
* Arthur Murphy
* Jim-Jim Nugent
* Gareth O'Callaghan
* Hector Ó hEochagáin
* Jim O'Neill
* Bernard O'Shea
* Rick O'Shea
* Dave Redmond
* Gerry Ryan
* Ruth Scott
* Gerry Stevens
* Tommy Tiernan
* Ryan Tubridy
* Keith Walsh
* Marty Whelan
* Simon Young

Shows|

| Current|

* 2FM Breakfast
* 2FM Request Show
* The Alternative
* Drive It with The 2 Johnnies
* The Electric Disco
* Game On
* The Greene Room
* The National Chart Show
* The Spring Session
* White Noise

|

Former|

* The Beatbox
* Black Echoes
* Breakfast Republic
* Breakfast with Hector
* Chris and Ciara
* The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show
* The Colm and Lucy Show
* The Dave Fanning Show
* Drive By
* Europe's Biggest Dance Show
* The Full Irish
* The Gerry Ryan Show
* Larry Gogan's Golden Hour
* Mailbag
* Marty in the Morning
* The Rick & Ruth Breakfast Show
* Smells Like Saturday
* Tubridy

Announcers and
newsreaders|

* Kate Carolan
* Rachael English
* Jacqui Hurley
* Barry O'Neill

Other contributors|

* Philip Boucher-Hayes
* Des Cahill
* Oliver Callan
* Brenda Donohue
* Eamon Horan
* Jenny Kelly
* Darren Kennedy
* Lucy Kennedy
* Fiona Looney
* Conor McNamara
* Evelyn O'Rourke
* Lottie Ryan
* Laura Woods

Heads|

* John Clarke
* John McMahon
* Dan Healy

Related|

* 2fm 2moro 2our
* Death of Gerry Ryan
* "Maniac 2000"
* Nob Nation
* Operation Transformation
* Podcasts
* RTÉ 2XM

Other RTÉ radio stations:

* RTÉ Radio 1
* RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
* RTÉ lyric fm

* v
* t
* e

RTÉ Radio 1

Presenters and shows

Presenters|

| Weekday|

* Shay Byrne
* Des Cahill
* Audrey Carville
* John Creedon
* Gerry Daly
* Ray D'Arcy
* Joe Duffy
* Louise Duffy
* Myles Dungan
* Rachael English
* Gavin Jennings
* Áine Lawlor
* Cathal Mac Coille
* Sarah McInerney
* Cathal Murray
* John Murray
* Mary Wilson
* Vincent Woods

|

Weekend|

* John Bowman
* Carole Coleman
* Richard Crowley
* Neil Doherty
* Kieran Hanrahan
* Avril Hoare
* Jacqui Hurley
* Ronan Collins
* Ronan Kelly
* David McCullagh
* Derek Mooney
* Marty Morrissey
* Con Murphy
* Áine Ní Bhreisleáin
* Siún Ní Dhuinn
* Sinéad Ní Uallacháin
* Aoife Nic Cormaic
* Fiachna Ó Braonáin
* Miriam O'Callaghan
* Brendan O'Connor
* Donncha Ó Dúlaing
* Kevin Rafter
* Ruth Smith

Former|

* Brendan Balfe
* Gerald Barry
* Charlie Bird
* Vincent Browne
* Gay Byrne
* Derek Davis
* Richard Downes
* Eamon Dunphy
* Séamus Ennis
* Dave Fanning
* Brian Farrell
* Marian Finucane
* Bridie Gallagher
* Sinéad Gleeson
* Jimmy Greeley
* David Hanly
* Aoife Kavanagh
* John Kelly
* Pat Kenny
* Shane Kenny
* Des Keogh
* Joe Lynch
* Maxi
* Proinsias Mac Aonghusa
* Ciarán Mac Mathúna
* Seán Mac Réamoinn
* Tom McGurk
* Leo Maguire
* Mike Murphy
* Gareth O'Callaghan
* Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin
* Pádraic Ó Neachtain
* Sean O'Rourke
* Brenda Power
* Marc Roberts
* John Skehan
* Ryan Tubridy
* Terry Wogan

Shows|

| Current|

* Beo ar Éigean
* Bowman Sunday Morning
* Céilí House
* The Collins Collection
* Doc on One
* Green Tea
* Liveline
* Miriam Meets...
* Mooney
* Playback
* The Ray D'Arcy Show
* Risin' Time
* Seascapes
* Sunday Miscellany
* Today with Claire Byrne

|

News and
Sport|

* Drivetime
* The Late Debate
* Morning Ireland
* News at One
* Saturday View
* The Business
* This Week
* Weekend Sport (Saturday Sport, Sunday Sport)
* World Report

Former|

* The Arts Show
* Conversations with Eamon Dunphy
* The Dave Fanning Show
* The Derek Davis Show
* Five Seven Live
* Future Tense
* The Gay Byrne Show
* The John Murray Show
* The Marian Finucane Show
* Mo Cheol Thú
* Ronan Collins
* The Ryan Tubridy Show (2015–2023)
* Scrap Saturday
* Today with ...
* The Tubridy Show (2005–2010)
* Women Today

Newsreaders|

* Aengus Mac Grianna
* Eileen Dunne
* Brian Jennings
* John Finnerty
* Mary Kennedy
* Michael Murphy
* Siún Nic Gearailt
* Barry O'Neill
* Ray Kennedy

Other contributors|

* Philip Boucher-Hayes
* Oliver Callan
* Brian Carthy
* Eoghan Corry
* Vincent DeVeau
* Larry Gogan
* Dylan Haskins
* Darren Kennedy
* Bill Long
* Manchán Magan
* Jimmy Magee
* Aonghus McAnally
* Nell McCafferty
* Ella McSweeney
* Brendan McWilliams
* Gina Menzies
* Seán Moncrieff
* Dermot Morgan
* Bryan Murray
* Joseph O'Connor
* Olivia O'Leary
* Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh
* Dermot O'Neill
* Evelyn O'Rourke
* Radio Éireann Players
* Kathryn Thomas

Other RTÉ radio stations

RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ lyric fm

Authority control databases: Artists |

* MusicBrainz

|

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