Dave Steele

[Mike Kemble]

I always remember Dave with a smile on his face and the world was just passing him by. He never had a harsh word to say, at least to me, and his cheerfulness was a tonic.

http://www.mcclellanweb.com/davysteele/

strange that his bio does not mention his Army life at all.

[pat carroll]

Davy and I were great mates, from the moment he arrived in Aden 66 straight from JLR to when I left the Regiment in 74, I spent time with him and his family(who I am still in touch with)in Prestonpans and we worked together in the Int Cell in Omagh. As has already been said Davy always had a ready smile and a sharp wit, and when he had a guitar in his hands you had to stop what you were doing and listen. I for one miss him and I know that the souls in Heaven will be greatly entertained.

R.I.P. Davy

Pat Carroll(Paddie)

[Dave Henley]

Good memories of Davey from Command and Support Sqn days when he used to produce his guitar round the camp fire on exercise, when we would all get ratted and sing along with Davey. One of his best and most saddest tunes was the one that went "drinking buttermilk all the day and whiskey on a sunday" - no one could sing it like Davey.

Also recall during the elections in NI in 1973. We were at Greencastle (I think) guarding the school for elections and Davey turned up driving a milk car. I started to walk towards him with a smile on my face when he hissed "**** off, you don't know me!) - I got the message and retreated in quck fashion! Great memories, great guy.

Dave

[Paul Ramsay]

Thanx Mike for bringing to attention the Davy Steele e-mail address

You should all look at it and realise how good he was.

Remember him and the late Mick Otter (Gassed himself on his narrow boat for those who did not know and remember him) enthralled us in the amphitheatre in Curium in Cyprus

He so much wanted to come to Scarborough to see you all again but it was not to be.

RIP me old mate - hope you and the otter man are playing "Big Jim was a bloody great Worm! to the audience up there


El Rambo

[JP]

I always remember Dave with a smile on his face and the world was just passing him by. He never had a harsh word to say, at least to me, and his cheerfulness was a tonic.

http://www.mcclellanweb.com/davysteele/

I always remember him for skiving off for months in Scotland when he was supposed to be working in the Ops Info cell in Cyprus. There were only two of us in the cell, so I had to do all his work for bl**dy ages.

Because of his absence, I was never able to take a week away from Cyprus - which the UN would have paid for - and I'm still waiting for an apology.

[Paul Ramsay]

I am sure davy will be sat in the Naafi bar in the sky laughing at you JP - apologie thats a laugh!!

Did you not spend a lot of time in Hospital over there - who was doing your work then - Davy I presume!!!!!!!

Anyway we met some nice nurses whilst you were in dock - had a great 3 months with them - Big Mo - Little Mo - and Sue if i recall.......

The rocks will never be the same again!!!

[JP]

I am sure davy will be sat in the Naafi bar in the sky laughing at you JP - apologie thats a laugh!!

He would laugh at anyone, Paul.

I didn't realise this before, but I mean no disrespect if he's dead.

Did you not spend a lot of time in Hospital over there - who was doing your work then - Davy I presume!!!!!!!

No, I had 2 weeks hospital isolation in Larnaca after I was blown up and my face was burned off, but that was when I was in A Sqn; and 3 days when I got Ramsay's disease for not wearing a condom, but apart from that I was very healthy all the time.

I used to drink 8 pints of milk a day too, ask Kostas the barman - or Pete Moon, who used to watch :-)

But that had nothing to do with the time when Jock and I worked together.

[Chris Young]

When I left the Army in 1992 I started work for Asbach (now there was a dream come true!).

I was given the information on the Scottish Folk Festival which we were sponsoring and was chuffed to see that one of the artists appearing and indeed the mainstay of the whole tour was our very own Davy Steele.

On the first concert night in Hannover we arranged to meet a bit earlier and had our own mini-reunion. After the concert we all retired to Seamus McGowans Irish Bar where Davy continued to entertain us, both on his own and with Seamus' wife Geraldine who is also a well known entertainer on the folk circuit. We drank copious amounts of Royal Lochnagar until the early hours when Geraldine got the breakfast on. I still don't know how i explained away the amount of "samle" whisky we got through.

This trend continued for some years and it was a highlight of the year for me each time the tour was on. I also had the pleasure of meeting his wife Patsy when she and her group "Sileas" were also on the tour. The finale of each concert on the first tour was absolutely brilliant whenall of the artists including Wolfstone played together - the atmosphere was terrific. It was on this tour that Davy told me he was thinking of issuing "Seeds to the Wind" as a single, he never got around to that. This and a lot more of his work can be sampled on:

http://www.ceolbeg.com/page9.htm

Later, after the decision had been made that the Folk Festival Tour had served it's purpose and Davy had joind the Battlefield Band, he would give me a ring when they were over here and we would carry on the tradition. Sadly I was no longer working for UD but for Scottish & Newcastle so we just changed to their products for the after concert sessions.

My fondest memory of Davy is the reason I am writing now, he told us this one in Seamus' Bar in Hannover and it still rates as one of my all-time favourite jokes. You have to try and imagine the actions to emphasise the story:

A young gay man finally gets into the Doctor's consulting room and with much difficulty and the utterance of lots of "ow" and auch" sits in front of the Doc who asks him what the trouble is.

Bursting into tears the Fudge Packer stutters out that he and his boyfriend had been to the zoo. "Yes, and?" asked the physician. "Well, sob sob" says the mincer, - "I was raped - by an elephant!"

"Oh dear" says the doc, "best we take a look, drop your trousers and assume the position". On looking at the damage the stunned doc asks "Surely this gaping rip where your arse was couldn't have been made by an elephant's penis?"

"No", whinged the pufftah, "He fingered me first!"

A great guy with a cracking sense of humour and an immense talent. He will always be sadly missed by all who came into contact with him! We have most of his CDs which we play regularly.

[Paul Ramsay]

He was a "star" just wish he had got to scarborough - he so dearly wanted to come but the illness got him and he couldnt do it. Enjoyed his company in many places and will have a place in my memory for ever.

[Mike Kemble]

Yes indeed, a special lad. Just been listening to that link, to Seeds, very nice. Will bookmark that site for a return trips(s).

[Tiny Hart]

Feel I missed out on not knowing this man. I saw him of course, hair down to his ankles like a 60's rocker whilst in int cell in Omagh, shock when I saw him without the rocker look (post Omagh) but I did not know him and he almost certainly never knew who I was, never ever heard him sing, but at least I can put a face to the name, better than nothing I suppose. RIP

[Mike Kemble]

Someone said to me in Lurgan one day that I looked more Irish than the Irish; the same could be said of Dave in the Int Cell in Omagh, he looked like the Wild Man of Donegal!!