Watch Travers recount the night in this YouTube interview.
The Aftermath
Lee’s book does not shy away from describing the long-lasting psychological scars.
“Survivors don’t have the luxury of forgetting,” he writes. Travers was later diagnosed with enduring personality change, while Lee struggled with survivor’s guilt and alcoholism.
Music, however, remained his lifeline. “When I picked up my saxophone again, it wasn’t just music. It was life itself,” he says.
Lee and Travers have spent decades fighting for accountability and recognition. In the aftermath of the killings, several convictions were secured, including two UDR soldiers sentenced to life in prison. But many questions remain about collusion and state responsibility.
Lee himself testified in Belfast under extraordinary security. “I was helicoptered to and from the Irish border, with 24-hour protection,” he recalls. “I’ve been looking over my shoulder ever since.”
Miami Showband: A Lost Cultural Phenomenon
The massacre also struck at the heart of Ireland’s showband era. From the 1950s to the 70s, showbands were a unifying cultural force, bringing together Catholic and Protestant youth on dance floors across the country.
