The Bachelors, originally known as The Harmonichords, were an Irish music group formed in Dublin. The founding members were Conleth Cluskey, Declan Cluskey, and John Stokes, who began their musical journey together in 1957 as a classically styled instrumental harmonica act. Their breakthrough came when they changed their name to The Bachelors at the suggestion of Dick Rowe from Decca Records in 1960. Throughout the 1960s, The Bachelors achieved significant chart success with eight top-ten singles in the UK, including "Diane", which reached number one in 1964, and "The Sound of Silence", a cover of Paul Simon's song that peaked at number three in April 1966. Their other notable hits include "Charmaine", "Ramona", "I Believe", "Marie", and "In the Chapel in the Moonlight". The group also ventured into film and television, appearing in shows like It's All Over Town and Sunday Night at the London Palladium. They continued to perform live well into the 1970s. In 1984, a messy split occurred between the Cluskey brothers and John Stokes, leading to legal action over the band's name. Following this, Conleth Cluskey and Declan Cluskey performed as The New Bachelors, while John Stokes appeared under various names. The group's music saw a resurgence in 2008 with the release of I Believe – The Very Best of The Bachelors, which reached number seven on the UK album chart. Conleth Cluskey passed away on 8 April 2022 at the age of 86.
