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Stephen’s heroic battle against the might of the British establishment concluded on December 13th, 2021. Under the threat by current British government to bar all prosecutions related to the so-called Troubles, he made the difficult decision to allow them to settle.

A sincere thanks to all who supported and encouraged Stephen’s unprecedented, successful High Court action against the British establishment. 

Photo of The Miami Showband standing together, smiling
The last official photo of The Miami Showband (1975)

Stephen Travers

Stephen Travers was born in 1951 in the beautiful market town of Carrick on Suir in south Tipperary, on the borders of Waterford and Kilkenny. From an early age, it was obvious that he was a gifted musician and, by the beginning of the 1970s, he was one of the most admired bass guitarists in Ireland.

In 1975, having played with some of the most respected bands in the country, he joined Ireland’s legendary Miami Showband. But, just two months later, in the early hours of July 31st, on their way home to Dublin from an engagement in the north of Ireland, three members of the band were murdered by British security forces in collusion with the Loyalist terrorist organisation, The Ulster Volunteer Force (The UVF), and Stephen was shot with an explosive dum-dum bullet and left for dead among the terrible carnage that will live forever in Irish history as The Miami Showband Massacre.

netflix documentary

ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre

In 2019, Netflix, the world’s largest media platform, released a major documentary based on his book, The Miami Showband Massacre; A survivor’s search for the truth, as one of eight films in the Netflix ReMastered docuseries.

The other seven films, released at monthly intervals, tell the stories of Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, Jam Master Jay, Victor Jara, Sam Cooke, Robert Johnson and Solomon Linda and how their musical careers influenced society. The series began in October 2018 with Who Shot The Sheriff; an investigation into the attempted assassination of Bob Marley.

Stephen Travers’ story, The Miami Showband Massacre, was released on March 22nd 2019 and immediately began trending all over the world. It was Emmy nominated in 2020. 

Watch it on Netflix here.

Cover of Stephen's book, The Miami Showband Massacre - A survivor's search for the truth

In The Miami Showband Massacre, Stephen Travers remembers the highs of being in the most successful showband of the 1970s and how it all ended in a terrifying moment of death and destruction.

But he also looks for answers as to why his friends – Tony Geraghty, Fran O’Toole and Brian McCoy – were killed.

Buy the book here.

Stephen Travers with The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin
A Netflix promotional picture from the Emmy-nominated documentary, ‘ReMastered The Miami Showband Massacre’
RUC detectives examining the scene of The Miami Showband Massacre on the morning of July 31st, 1975
The bombed wreckage of The Miami Showband VW minibus on the morning of July 31st, 1975
President Mary McAleese and her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese, honouring Stephen Travers at Áras an Uachtaráin
The Irish Ambassador to the USA receives ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’ from Stephen Travers with Michael O’Hare (left) and Eugene Reavey (right)
Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, one of the chief architects of The Peace Process, with Stephen Travers at the launch of ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’
Seamus Mallon, one of the great architects of The Peace Process, at his home in Markethill, County Armagh, with Stephen Travers
Stephen Travers' victim impact statement
The Bass Player Book Cover
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Stephen Travers with The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin
A Netflix promotional picture from the Emmy-nominated documentary, ‘ReMastered The Miami Showband Massacre’
RUC detectives examining the scene of The Miami Showband Massacre on the morning of July 31st, 1975
The bombed wreckage of The Miami Showband VW minibus on the morning of July 31st, 1975
President Mary McAleese and her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese, honouring Stephen Travers at Áras an Uachtaráin
The Irish Ambassador to the USA receives ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’ from Stephen Travers with Michael O’Hare (left) and Eugene Reavey (right)
Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, one of the chief architects of The Peace Process, with Stephen Travers at the launch of ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’
Seamus Mallon, one of the great architects of The Peace Process, at his home in Markethill, County Armagh, with Stephen Travers
The Victim Impact Statement Stephen Travers read in the Belfast High Court on 13th December, 2021
Image based on the cover of Stephen's upcoming book, The Bass Player. The navy-coloured image shows the fretboard of a 5-string bass, with 'The Bass Player' in yellow, with subitle 'A true story of savagery, intrigue, collusion, love and hope', Stephen Travers, the legend 'Now the subject of an Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, "The Miami Showband Massacre"
Stephen Travers with The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin

Stephen Travers with The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin

A Netflix promotional picture from the Emmy-nominated documentary, ‘ReMastered The Miami Showband Massacre’

A Netflix promotional picture from the Emmy-nominated documentary,
‘ReMastered The Miami Showband Massacre’

RUC detectives examining the scene of The Miami Showband Massacre on the morning of July 31st, 1975

RUC detectives examining the scene of The Miami Showband Massacre
on the morning of July 31st, 1975

The bombed wreckage of The Miami Showband VW minibus on the morning of July 31st, 1975

The bombed wreckage of The Miami Showband VW minibus on the morning of July 31st, 1975

President Mary McAleese and her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese, honouring Stephen Travers at Áras an Uachtaráin

President Mary McAleese and her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese,
honouring Stephen Travers at Áras an Uachtaráin

The Irish Ambassador to the USA receives ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’ from Stephen Travers with Michael O’Hare (left) and Eugene Reavey (right)

The Irish Ambassador to the USA receives ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’
from Stephen Travers with Michael O’Hare (left) and Eugene Reavey (right)

Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, one of the chief architects of The Peace Process, with Stephen Travers at the launch of ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’

Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, one of the chief architects of The Peace Process, with Stephen Travers at the launch of ‘The Miami Showband Massacre: A Survivor’s Search for the Truth’

Seamus Mallon, one of the great architects of The Peace Process, at his home in Markethill, County Armagh, with Stephen Travers

Seamus Mallon, one of the great architects of The Peace Process, at his home
in Markethill, County Armagh, with Stephen Travers

Stephen Travers' victim impact statement
The Bass Player Book Cover
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