“We knew a transplant would be very risky. He said, ‘I’ll either walk out of the hospital or I’ll be carried out. I can’t take it any more’.” Mama’s Boys looked set to break America in the '80s, but naivety, bad luck and family tragedy broke their hearts

Mama's Boys.

In the summer of 1985, before joining Iron Maiden’s epic World Slavery Tour in America for a trio of gigs local promoters were billing as the ‘Heavy Metal Summer Kickoff’, Mama’s Boys stopped by in Salina, Kansas, for a one-off show. 

The band’s second US album, Power And Passion, had broken into the Billboard Top 200. Having played in the Midwest the previous summer as special guests to Ratt, the McManus brothers – vocalist/ bassist John, guitarist Pat and drummer Tommy – were anticipating a decent turn-out ahead of their support shows with Maiden. They were not, however, expecting total chaos.